Tag: NFL Standings

Why 49ers securing 1st winning season since 2013 matters

The 49ers have come a long way since their last winning season since 2013.

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It’s been a long time since the 49ers last had a winning season. Their 36-26 victory Sunday over the Cardinals put San Francisco at nine wins, and secured their first season above the .500 mark since 2013.

That 2013 campaign was their third consecutive winning season. They finished 12-4 and lost in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers went 25-55 from 2014 to 2018, and their best record in that stretch was an 8-8 outing in 2014. In that time they’ve gone through four head coaches, two general managers and six starting quarterbacks.

Getting to nine wins is a significant hurdle for the 49ers to clear after two abysmal years to kick off head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure.

What’s been most impressive this year is how they’ve been able to overcome injuries. That’s due in part to work general manager John Lynch and the front office have done to generate enough depth that injuries become less of a roadblock, but still, San Francisco has found ways to win games this year that it repeatedly lost for five consecutive years.

The 49ers are a franchise with a rich enough championship pedigree that nine wins in a season can’t be celebrated. That’s especially true when considering a nine-win season after a 9-1 start would be massively disappointing. However, it’s worth recognizing considering the lows the franchise hit between 2013 and now.

San Francisco has a long way to go before it can start sniffing its sixth Lombardi Trophy, but getting to nine wins 11 weeks into the year and securing a season above .500 is a good start down that path.

49ers stay ahead in NFC playoff race

The 49ers got a huge win in their race for a first-round bye.

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The 49ers’ Week 11 showdown with the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium was massive for the home team. Arizona entered at 3-6-1, firmly out of the NFC playoff race, but San Francisco desperately needed the win.

Had they lost, they would’ve dropped from the top seed in the NFC to the No. 5 seed, with the idle Seattle Seahawks leapfrogging them for the top spot in the NFC West. They pulled out a 36-26 win though, and kept themselves a full game ahead of the three teams immediately behind them in the playoff hunt.

Here’s what the NFC playoff picture looks like following Sunday’s action:

1. 49ers (9-1)
2. Packers (8-2)
3. Saints (8-2)
4. Cowboys (6-4)
5. Seahawks (8-2)
6. Vikings (8-3)

Barring a dramatic turn, these are likely the six teams that’ll be playing in December, but the order could change. Dallas is also just a game up on the 5-5 Eagles in the NFC East, so that No. 4 seed could get a shake up too.

What matters most for the 49ers though was their come-from-behind victory Sunday afternoon.  A loss would’ve put them in a very difficult spot at 8-2, with the No. 5 seed, and going into a stretch where they face the Packers, Ravens and Saints in consecutive weeks. Having the full game of cushion gives them an opportunity to create separation over these next three weeks. It also allows them to stumble against one of the top teams without completely sinking their season.

Sunday’s win wasn’t easy for San Francisco, but it was huge in their chase for a playoff spot and first-round bye.

Updated look at Bills’ remaining strength of schedule

Buffalo Bills remaining stretch of schedule in 2019.

The Bills sit at 6-3 after their 19-16 loss to the Browns and their 2019 schedule down the stretch is much tougher.

So, how much tougher is it exactly?

Currently the Bills sit dead-center in the NFL.

Buffalo has the 16th hardest schedule remaining in the NFL. Left on Buffalo’s schedule, in order, are the Dolphins, Broncos, Cowboys, Ravens, Steelers, Patriots and Jets.

Combined, those teams are 32-31 overall this year with a .508 winning percentage.

Earlier this season, NFL analysts were critical of the Bills and their opponents. Now the Bills will have a chance to prove they can beat better teams.

With the Bills’ schedule in mind, let’s now compare that with the other teams currently in the AFC Wild Card and playoff picture. If Buffalo doesn’t get it done, things could go bad.

Here’s how the standings currently sit with team records and remaining strength of schedule.

AFC seeding:

  1. New England Patriots (8-1, .469 – 21st hardest)
  2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2, .556 – 7th)
  3. Houston Texans (6-3, .554 – 9th)
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4, .500 – 17th)
  5. Buffalo Bills (6-3, .508 – 16th)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4, .383 – 30th)
  7. Oakland Raiders (5-4, .364 – 31st)
  8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4, .531 – 13th)
  9. Tennessee Titans (5-5, .611 – 3rd)
  10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5, .446 – 25th)

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Bills playoff picture: Post-Week 10 recap of AFC teams ‘in the hunt’

The Bills’ loss to the Cleveland Browns hurt. All loses tend to do that in the NFL, but this one hurt a little more. The feeling that Buffalo let this one get away, combined with other teams around the AFC playoff picture scoring some wins of their …

The Bills’ loss to the Cleveland Browns hurt.

All loses tend to do that in the NFL, but this one hurt a little more. The feeling that Buffalo let this one get away, combined with other teams around the AFC playoff picture scoring some wins of their own, things didn’t go well for Western New York in Week 10.

Here’s a recap of the latest happenings in the AFC playoff picture:

AFC seeding:

  1. New England Patriots (8-1)
  2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
  3. Houston Texans (6-3)
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
  5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
  7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
  8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
  9. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
  10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

In the hunt teams recap:

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

Week 10:

Bye

Next game:

at Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

9. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

Week 10:

Titans block late FG attempt, stun Chiefs 35-32.

Next game:

Week 11 bye

8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Week 10:

Backup QB Brian Hoyer can’t overcome Dolphins in 16-12 loss.

Next game:

vs. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)

Week 10:

Raiders win back-and-forth Thursday game vs. Chargers, 26-24, with Josh Jacobs’ 18-yard rushing TD with one minute remaining.

Next game:

vs. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)

Playoff teams recap:

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

Week 10:

Steelers hold Rams (5-4) offense without TD in 17-12 win, their fourth-straight victory.

Next game:

at Cleveland Browns (3-6)

5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)

Week 10:

Bills miss game-tying kick late, fall 19-16 to Browns (3-6).

Next game:

at Miami Dolphins (2-7)

4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)

Week 10:

In Patrick Mahomes’ return from injury, Titans use late FG block for upset, 35-32.

Next game:

at Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)

3. Houston Texans (6-3)

Week 10:

Bye week.

Next game:

at Baltimore Ravens (7-2)

2. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)

Week 10:

Ravens routed winless Bengals (0-9), 49-13.

Next game:

vs. Houston Texans (6-3)

1. New England Patriots (8-1)

Week 10:

Bye week.

Next game:

at Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)

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49ers still on top of NFC playoff picture after loss

The 49ers lost, but they’re still at the top of the NFC standings.

The 49ers on Monday suffered their first defeat of the year when the Seahawks downed them 27-24 in overtime at Levi’s Stadium.

The gut-wrenching nature of the loss to a division rival may give the 49ers’ first jaunt into the loss column an added sting, but it still counts as just one loss in the standings.

Thanks to the Saints’ loss to the Falcons, the 49ers had an extra game up on New Orleans, so they maintained their spot atop the NFC playoff picture.

Here’s how the NFC looks after Week 10 action:

Playoffs

1. 49ers (8-1)
2. Saints (7-2)
3. Packers (7-2)
4. Cowboys (5-4)
5. Seahawks (8-2)
6. Vikings (7-3)

In the hunt

7. Rams (5-4)
8. Eagles (5-4)
9. Panthers (5-4)

The 49ers are now in a spot where the Saints are further back than Seattle.  San Francisco had a chance to effectively put the Seahawks away if they moved to 2.5 games up on them.

Instead, they’re now looking back at three teams nipping at their heels – the Seahawks, Saints and Packers.

The good news for the 49ers is they still control their playoff hopes. They have single games left against all three of those teams, so we could see a pretty dramatic shakeup in the NFC playoff picture down the stretch.