The 49ers may find themselves in a situation where they’re rooting against clinching a playoff spot Sunday afternoon.
For the second consecutive week, San Francisco can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Rams loss. The scenarios where the 49ers punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since the 2013 season are straightforward:
49ers win, Rams lose or tie
49ers tie, Rams lose
Typically it would be a no-brainer for the 49ers to pull for a Rams loss in the afternoon following their 10:00 AM Pacific Time start in New Orleans. However, San Francisco may actually be rooting against their own self interest in regards to clinching a playoff berth Sunday.
The Rams are hosting the NFC West-leading Seahawks. A Seattle loss, regardless of the outcome of the 49ers’ game in New Orleans, helps San Francisco.
If the 49ers win and the Seahawks lose, San Francisco regains the NFC West lead and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
If the 49ers lose and the Seahawks lose, the two teams stay locked in a tie atop the NFC West with the 49ers getting a chance to even and win the division when the two teams square off in Seattle the final week of the season.
There’s an added layer that makes a delay in their playoff clinch preferable for the 49ers. They play the Rams in Week 16, so a win in that game would lock up a playoff spot even if the Rams hang around the next couple weeks. Beating the Rams would clinch that playoff berth if it hadn’t already happened.
While clinching a playoff berth is the first step toward the team’s goal of a Super Bowl, it would wind up benefitting them if that clinch doesn’t happen this weekend.