The 49ers could finish Week 13 at the No. 5 seed in the NFC. They could also clinch a playoff spot.
The Rams are the last-remaining five-loss team in the NFC and they’re sitting at the No. 7 seed, one spot out of the playoffs, so they’re the only team that matters most to the 49ers in this clinching scenario. They’re in Arizona to face the 3-7-1 Cardinals. A loss would push them to 6-6, making 10-6 their best possible finish. The 49ers clinched a 10-6 record last week by moving to 10-1 with a victory over the Packers. They could get their clinching 11th win this week in Baltimore.
Here are the 49ers’ clinching scenarios:
49ers win + Rams loss or tie
49ers tie + Rams loss
This essentially sets up a scenario where a 49ers win and a Rams loss clinches a playoff spot for San Francisco the rest of the way.
The Rams visit Levi’s Stadium in Week 16, but if things go right for San Francisco, they’ll have wrapped up a playoff spot long before then.