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The 49ers took down the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium and launched themselves to No. 6 in the NFC playoff picture after entering Week 12 on the outside looking in.
A Saints loss on Thanksgiving pushed San Francisco up from No. 8 to No. 7, and the 49ers taking care of business against the Vikings allowed them to climb to the sixth spot.
Virtually everything that could’ve gone right for the 49ers did in Week 12 and now San Francisco is only one back of the Los Angeles Rams in the updated NFC playoff picture:
1. Cardinals (9-2)
2. Packers (9-3)
3. Buccaneers (8-3)
4. Cowboys (7-4)
5. Rams (7-4)
6. 49ers (6-5)
7. Washington (5-6)
8. Vikings (5-6)
9. Falcons (5-6)
10. Saints (5-6)
The good news for the 49ers is they hold a tiebreaker over the Vikings because of Sunday’s win, and they’ll face the Falcons in Week 14 with a chance to secure a tiebreaker there as well. They also hold one over the 5-7 Eagles who were beaten by the Giants in Week 12.
After a 3-5 start the 49ers have put themselves in a position to control their own destiny and make a real run in the postseason. If they keep running the ball effectively and generating takeaways on defense, it’s hard to see them falling below the No. 6 spot.
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