Despite a trio of close games the last three weeks, including their only loss of the year, the 49ers are still in prime position to win the NFC West and secure a first-round bye in the postseason.
Here are the NFC West standings entering Week 12:
1- 49ers (9-1)
2- Seahawks (8-2)
3- Rams (6-4)
4- Cardinals (3-7-1)
The Seahawks are at Philadelphia on Sunday, and they hold the tiebreaker over the 49ers because they won their head-to-head matchup. An Eagles win would be huge for San Francisco because it would allow them to stay on top of the NFC West no matter the result of their game vs. the Packers.
Los Angeles became a little bit of an afterthought with their struggles through the early portion of the year, but they’re not out of it at 6-4. That’s a team that went to the Super Bowl last season and is loaded with talent. Any prolonged stumble by the 49ers, combined with a winning streak for the . Rams, immediately puts the Rams back in the picture to win the division for the second year in a row.
The 49ers’ standing atop the NFC playoff picture is just as shaky as it is in the division. While San Francisco’s spent effectively the entire season in first place, they find themselves in a precarious position despite a 9-1 record.
Here’s what the NFC playoff picture looks like:
1- 49ers (9-1)
2- Packers (8-2)
3- Saints (8-2)
4- Cowboys (6-4)
5- Seahawks (8-2)
6- Vikings (8-3)
San Francisco and Green Bay will face off and shake up the top of the NFC. New Orleans hosts the struggling Panthers, while the Seahawks visit the Eagles and the Vikings take their bye week.
If Seattle wins and the 49ers lose, San Francisco would drop to the No. 5 seed. The Packers would jump to No. 1, the Seahawks would jump to No. 2, and the Saints would remain in third whether they win or lose.
An Eagles win and Cowboys loss would put them in a tie for the No. 4 seed, but Dallas owns the tiebreaker. It would also drop the Seahawks to 8-3 and into a tie with the Vikings, at which point Minnesota would jump to No. 5 and drop Seattle to No. 6.