NFC playoff picture – Syndication Server

49ers on the wrong side of mediocrity in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

A steep fall for the 49ers in the USA TODAY power rankings:

The San Francisco 49ers can’t get the benefit of the doubt any longer. This year’s club hasn’t been able to flip the proverbial switch after a slow start, and the problems that plagued them through the first 10 weeks cropped up again in another dreary loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings acted accordingly and dropped the 49ers all the way out of the top half of the league and into No. 18 overall – a well-earned seven-place dip from No. 11 where they resided after a Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Perhaps the 49ers do have a switch to flip and they do so with their backs against the wall and a brutal stretch coming up where they visit the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills in back-to-back weeks. If they fight their way out of the 5-5 corner they’re backed into and get a couple wins over two playoff teams, then we can revisit their place in the NFL hierarchy.

Linebacker Fred Warner summed it up after the team’s 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

“Yeah, it’s not like us,” Warner said of the team’s penchant for face-planting in crucial situations. “But that’s what we’ve shown this year, so I guess until we stop doing that, that’s who we are.”

The 49ers are 5-5, last place in their division and on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture. Pedigree doesn’t count for anything in the postseason formula, and until they prove they’re that caliber of team, they deserve to plummet into the range of mediocrity in the power rankings.

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NFL standings highlight why 49ers loss to Seahawks was so damaging

The 49ers are in last in the NFC West … yikes.

The San Francisco 49ers looked primed to fight their way back to the playoffs like they have multiple times after slow starts under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

They entered Week 11 at 5-4, and a win over the Seattle Seahawks would have put them in a tie for the NFC West and nipping at the heels of a wild card spot if their division hopes fell short.

Instead, they lost 20-17 at Levi’s Stadium and made what was a relatively clear path to the postseason a lot more cloudy.

Here is where the 49ers sit in the NFC West after Sunday:

1. Cardinals (6-4)
2. Rams (5-5)
3. Seahawks (5-5)
4. 49ers (5-5)

While on the surface this doesn’t look so bad, we have to factor in the reality that the 49ers aren’t playing well enough to believe they’ll win the rest of their games. If they did do that, they’d be in a great spot.

Unfortunately this season has shown us these aren’t the 49ers teams of recent history (read: last season).

So what we have is a team that now at best can split with every team in the division. If they do that they’ll be 3-3 overall in the NFC West. The problem with that is division record is the first tiebreaker after head-to-head matchups. In our scenario the 49ers would go to the division record with any team they tie with, and 3-3 isn’t likely going to cut it.

To win the NFC West the 49ers will now have to go on such a tear that they avoid a tie breaking scenario. Given the struggles this club has dealt with since Week 2, we’re not ready to bank on that just yet.

Perhaps there’s a run in them. Maybe injuries hit other teams or they start playing poorly later in the year and the 49ers scoop up a slew of wins in the final seven games. That would change the calculus.

Where they sit after a Week 11 defeat against the Seahawks, however, the path to the postseason by way of winning the division looks darker than it has in a long time.

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Importance of 49ers Week 10 win illustrated in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Week 10 wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to push the 49ers way up the NFL power rankings.

It may not have looked exactly how they wanted it to look, but the San Francisco 49ers secured an important 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.

There’s plenty for the 49ers to iron out, particularly on special teams where a muffed punt and a trio of missed field goals changed the tenor of Sunday’s game. However, their victory was crucial for keeping pace in the NFC West and NFC playoff races.

A good illustrator of just how important their Week 10 win was comes via the USA TODAY NFL power rankings. San Francisco entered the week at No. 16, but finished at No. 11, one spot behind the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals.

While they didn’t play their best football in Week 10, there are reasons to believe better play is coming given their post-Bye history under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Via USA TODAY’s Nate Davis:

Their post-bye record in 2024 (with RB Christian McCaffrey) is 1-0. Their post-bye record since 2021 is 31-9.

This is a nice stat that should provide some optimism for 49ers fans. However, the 2024 season hasn’t been great through 10 weeks and the team hasn’t shown the ability to flip a switch and dominate a game for 60 minutes.

Cutting down on self-inflicted wounds could quickly set the 49ers up as a Super Bowl contender once again. If they continue making those mistakes, they won’t be a team hanging around the top 10 much longer with games coming up against NFC West rival Seattle, the No. 9 Green Bay Packers and No. 4 Buffalo Bills.

If the 49ers are going to be a contender this year, they’ll have to prove it in this stretch.

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NFC playoff picture highlights why Week 10 win was vital for 49ers

The 49ers so badly needed that win over the Buccaneers. Peep the standings.

The San Francisco 49ers’ Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be confused for a football masterclass.

San Francisco missed three field goals, muffed a punt, went one-for-three in the red zone and committed four defensive penalties for 39 yards on Tampa Bay’s game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter.

While the victory might have left some scratching their heads about how good this 49ers team is, they needed to get a win to stick around in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt.

They got a little help from the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. They dropped the Los Angeles Rams 23-15 and moved them to 4-5 on the season. It leaves the NFC West standings looking like this after 10 weeks:

1. Cardinals (6-4)
2. 49ers (5-4)
3. Rams (4-5)
4. Seahawks (4-5)

A 49ers loss would have kept them in third place and even further behind the Arizona Cardinals for the division lead, and Arizona has a relatively soft schedule coming up after their Week 11 Bye. Keeping pace with them was a big deal for the 49ers.

San Francisco also climbed up the overall NFC playoff picture. They’re still not in the top seven, but a wild card spot seems far more attainable now than it would’ve had they dropped Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay.

At 5-4, the 49ers sit one game behind the Green Bay Packers for the seventh and final playoff spot. Here’s what the NFC playoff picture looks like after Week 10:

1. Lions (8-1)
2. Eagles (7-2)
3. Falcons (6-4)
4. Cardinals (6-4)
5. Vikings (7-2)
6. Commanders (7-3)
7. Packers (6-3)

8. 49ers (5-4)
9. Bears (4-5)
10. Rams (4-5)
11. Seahawks (4-5)

It’s not exactly where the 49ers wanted to be, but winning in Week 10 put them in position to make a run, and gave themselves a little bit of margin for error if they drop one of their upcoming games against the Seahawks, Packers or Bills.

Sunday might not have been pretty, but the 49ers got a win they needed. Now they need to find ways to play better down the stretch to take advantage of the spot they’re in entering Week 11.

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Updated NFC Wild-Card Standings following Seahawks’ Week 10 bye

The Seattle Seahawks sat out Sunday’s festivities via their Week 10 bye. Mike Macdonald’s squad currently sits outside the playoff picture in both the NFC West and a tight-knit race for the conference’s three wild-card positions. Here’s an updated look at the NFC West wild-card playoff picture.

Minnesota Vikings remain in No. 1 wild card spot

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 12-7 on Sunday to remain the NFC’s top wild-card seed. They own an excellent 7-2 record, but trail the 8-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is overseeing an elite defense that limited the Jaguars to 143 total yards. The Vikings feel like a lock for the postseason.

Washington Commanders No. 2 seed

The Washington Commanders lost 28-27 by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson connected with Mike Williams for a 32-yard go-ahead game-winning touchdown with 2:27 remaining. The Commanders entered the weekend leading the NFC East, but fell down to the No. 2 wild-card seed as the Philadelphia Eagles took over the division lead.

Green Bay Packers remain No. 3 seed

Like the Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers enjoyed a Week 10 bye. Despite the off-week, the 6-3 Packers did not forfeit their current postseason positioning. Matt LaFleur’s squad is the third place team in the NFC North, trailing the Lions (8-1) and Vikings (7-2).

San Francisco 49ers remain in contention

The San Francisco 49ers got Christian McCaffrey back and defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20. The 49ers improved to 5-4 and remained on the Packers’ heels for the final wild-card spot. Kyle Shanahan’s annual contenders will remain in the playoff hunt despite their current outside-looking-in circumstances.

Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football

Seattle’s other NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams, play the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The red-hot Rams are 4-5 and could equal the 49ers’ 5-4 record with a victory. A Dolphins upset would greatly benefit the Seahawks’ postseason positioning.

Chicago Bears free-fall

The Chicago Bears have lost three consecutive contests, equaling Seattle’s current record of 4-5. Former Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is struggling to build a successful offense around No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams.

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NFC wild-card rooting guide for Seahawks’ Week 10 bye

The Seattle Seahawks enter Sunday’s Week 10 bye at 4-5. They currently sit outside the playoff picture in both the NFC West and a tight-knit race for the conference’s three wild-card positions. With the Seahawks enjoying some down-time, here’s your NFC wild-card playoff rooting guide for the weekend.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Minnesota Vikings

The 6-2 Minnesota Vikings currently own the conference’s top wild card spot, because they trail the 7-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North. The Vikings are heavy favorites over the 2-7 Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. The Jaguars would be doing the Seahawks (and the entire NFC) a massive favor by upsetting Minnesota on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles

The 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles own the NFC’s No. 2 wild-card spot because they trail the shocking Washington Commanders in the NFC East. The Eagles have a divisional showdown versus the Dallas Cowboys, who lost starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a multi-week injury. We’re not holding our breath on this hopeful upset.

New England Patriots over Chicago Bears

The 4-4 Chicago Bears are slightly ahead of the Seahawks in the postseason race despite also being outside the playoffs as things stand. Caleb Williams’ Bears host Drake Maye’s New England Patriots in an exciting rookie-vs-rookie matchup. A Patriots upset would be helpful, but qualifies as unlikely.

Miami Dolphins over Los Angeles Rams

The Seahawks trail the Los Angeles Rams in both the NFC West and in the heated wild-card race. A Miami Dolphins victory over the Rams on Monday Night Football would be especially helpful. Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa recently returned from a lengthy stint on the sidelines.

A San Francisco 49ers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers tie?

It’s difficult to choose between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because the Seahawks trail both in the current postseason picture. When in doubt, root for the non-divisional option. A Buccaneers victory would be the preferred outcome if a tie feels unrealistic.

New York Jets over Arizona Cardinals

The 5-4 Arizona Cardinals sit atop Seattle’s division at 5-4. Should the Cardinals lose to Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets on Sunday, they’ll fall back into the wild-card hunt. Regardless, a Jets victory would enhance Seattle’s postseason chances.

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Week 9 NFL scores were mostly bad news for 49ers

Week 9 scores weren’t kind to the 49ers …

The San Francisco 49ers got to sit back and watch Week 9 NFL action and hope for some beneficial results.

They got mostly bad news as the dust settled on Sunday’s slate of games, and they didn’t move up or down in the NFC West.

In some bad news, the Arizona Cardinals throttled the Chicago Bears 29-9 in Arizona. That victory moved the Cardinals to 5-4 overall, putting them a full game up on the 49ers in the division with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand at least until they play again in Week 18.

In more neutral news, the Seattle Seahawks took a loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle is now in last in the division at 4-5, while the Rams moved to 4-4 and into a tie for second place with the 49ers. LA is technically ahead of the 49ers because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

With the win by the Cardinals, the 49ers were locked in to third place in the division. At 5-4, Arizona was guaranteed to hold at least a share of first place, but the Rams-Seahawks loser was going to end up in last place with the 4-4 49ers holding firm in third.

We can also virtually rule out any chance of San Francisco securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season after the Detroit Lions obliterated the Green Bay Packers 24-14 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score. Detroit is now 7-1 overall and doesn’t seem primed to lose as many games as they’ll need to lose for the 49ers to eclipse them.

The rest of this season is officially about the NFC West for the 49ers since they’re now fighting uphill for the division. Seeding may matter down the line, but for now their four losses are two more than four of the seven playoff teams.

San Francisco will be in action on the road in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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NFL standings: 49ers back out of playoff picture after Week 7 action

The 49ers are in a bad spot when it comes to the playoff hunt.

What a difference a week makes.

The San Francisco 49ers were riding high after a Week 6 road win over the Seattle Seahawks that launched them from the No. 14 seed in the NFC to the No. 4 seed thanks to their new lead in the NFC West.

Then came Week 7.

In Week 7 not only did the 49ers lose, they were the only NFC West team that didn’t win. Instead of sitting atop the division and holding onto a playoff spot, San Francisco now finds itself in survival mode just trying to get back into the playoff picture.

Seattle leads the NFC West at 4-3. The Arizona Cardinals are in second place at 3-4 thanks to their head-to-head tiebreaker over the 3-4 49ers.

It’s imperative to note there are still 11 weeks of football to go and the NFC West doesn’t have a dominant force the 49ers can’t overcome. However, there are a slew of teams ahead of San Francisco that are just playing better football through seven weeks.

The No. 1 seed Detroit Lions have hit their stride, as has virtually the entire NFC North. Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago hold seed Nos. 5-7 to round out the playoff picture. Washington is the No. 2 seed and looks unstoppable on offense. NFC West leader Seattle is in the No. 3 spot, and the Falcons are the No. 4 seed as the NFC South leaders.

We can scrap thoughts of the No. 1 seed for the 49ers. It feels out of reach even if San Francisco wins out. They just need to start stringing together some wins to get back into the playoff picture to begin with and separating themselves from some of the NFC’s bottom dwellers.

Once they do that we can start to worry about seeding. For now, they just need to get into that conversation.

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49ers skyrocket into NFC playoff picture after Week 6

The NFC playoff picture once again features the 49ers.

Week 6 may mark a turning point in the 2024 season for the San Francisco 49ers.

After stumbling through the first five weeks, the 49ers righted the ship with a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. The win put San Francisco in first place in the NFC West by way of head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks.

With the Arizona Cardinals loss to the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers were guaranteed to end Week 6 with a share of first place in their division. They also skyrocketed up the NFC standings and firmly into the playoff picture.

The 49ers entered Week 6 at No. 14 out of 16 teams in the NFC thanks to a putrid 0-3 record in the conference that dropped them below other 2-3 teams because of tiebreakers.

After Week 6 the 49ers now find themselves in position to host a home playoff game. Here’s what the playoff picture looks like entering Week 7:

1. Vikings (5-0)
2. Falcons (4-2)
3. Commanders (4-2)
4. 49ers (3-3)
5. Lions (4-1)
6. Bears (4-2)
7. Buccaneers (4-2)

Step 1 for the 49ers was getting themselves back into the playoff picture after starting the year on the outside looking in. A third of the way through the year they’re in a better spot and their path ahead is clear.

San Francisco’s goal is obtaining the No. 1 seed. That still seems a ways off since they’re 2.5 games back of the Vikings for that spot and Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The more immediate focus should just be climbing the standings and trying to gain some separation from their NFC West rivals.

Moving ahead isn’t going to be easy for the 49ers. They host the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys before their bye week. Those games won’t be easy, but thanks to Week 6, San Francisco is in a position to perhaps get as high as No. 2 in the NFC before getting a much-needed week off where reinforcements could be coming off of IR.

Week 6 was big for the 49ers, but it only put them back on track. Every game moving forward will be even bigger if they’re going to re-assert their dominance in the NFC.

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49ers win over Seahawks puts them in 1st place NFC West

The San Francisco 49ers are your new division leader.

What a difference a win makes!

The San Francisco 49ers were in an apparent spiral entering their game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. They’d lost three straight, including two to division opponents where San Francisco held 10-point leads in the fourth quarter, and they sat at 14th out of 16 in the NFC standings.

A win was a necessity at Lumen Field, and the 49ers came through even with some bumps in the road.

While San Francisco needed a win for some stability early in this season, they also had an opportunity to leap into the playoff picture by overtaking the Seahawks in the NFC West.

The 49ers’ 36-24 victory over Seattle launched them into a tie with the Seahawks at 3-3 overall, but placed San Francisco at No. 1 in the division by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker they now hold over the Seahawks.

Here’s what the standings look like entering Sunday:

1. 49ers (3-3)
2. Seahawks (3-3)
3. Cardinals (2-3)
4. Rams (1-4)

It’s still too early to start schedule-watching, but the 49ers’ margin for error is slim enough that any ground they can make up in the race for a playoff berth is significant.

The Cardinals do play the Packers on Sunday in Green Bay. A win by them would push the 49ers down to second in the standings. A loss would ensure San Francisco holds the NFC West lead heading into Week 7.

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