The San Francisco 49ers sit at 9-4 and the No. 6 seed in the NFC after their long-awaited bye week. With the 2-11 Tennessee Titans coming into San Francisco on Sunday, it is safe to say the 49ers have a very realistic chance to reach 10-4 by the end of the week — a remarkable outcome considering the injuries that have plagued this team.
Even more remarkable is that the 49ers still find themselves in a position not only to steal the NFC West, but possibly even the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Pathway to the NFC West and No. 1 Seed
If the 49ers can win their next three games — all matchups in which they will more likely than not be favored — and get help from either the Lions or Seahawks by defeating the Rams, along with the Packers dropping just one of their remaining games, then a winner-takes-all scenario for the No. 1 seed could be on the table in Week 18 against Seattle.
That would be fascinating, especially considering the teams concluded the NFL’s 100th season in 2019 in a similar fashion with the infamous Dre Greenlaw goal-line stand that secured the top seed for San Francisco.
Everything on the negative side also remains a real possibility for the 49ers — including missing the playoffs entirely. The Lions are still on the outside looking in, just one game behind both the Bears and 49ers. That makes the Bears-49ers matchup and the Bears-Lions game to close the season monumental in shaping the NFC playoff picture.
Tight NFC Race Leaves No Room for Error
The gap between the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Rams and the No. 7 seed Chicago Bears is only one game. The margins in the NFC are extremely tight, and it is shaping up to be a fascinating ending to the season. For the 49ers, there is everything to play for over the next few weeks, and the way the landscape is forming could allow San Francisco to make a run — if they can simply get in.
Across both conferences, no team has separated itself as a clear dominant force. There are flaws with every contender. Pundits will ask questions of all the top teams in both conferences. The 49ers find themselves exactly where they want to be, and they could have a special end to the season considering all the circumstances that have gone against them.
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