The 49ers took care of their own business in Week 15 by going to Arizona and knocking off the Cardinals. Then they got a small miracle with both the Cowboys and Eagles losing their respective games, leaving San Francisco all alone with the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
With only three games left and the 49ers a full game up on the three 10-4 teams vying for the top spot, clinching scenarios are very real.
There are a bunch of scenarios that could play out over the next few weeks, but thanks to head-to-head tiebreakers and a stellar division record, San Francisco is in a really good spot. They’re in such a good spot, actually, that they can clinch the No. 1 seed Monday night against the Ravens.
Here’s how:
Lions lose at Vikings
Minnesota is scrappy, well-coached and battling for a playoff spot. They’ll host the Lions on Sunday at 10:00am Pacific Time.
Cowboys lose at Dolphins
This is perhaps the most plausible of the things the 49ers need to go their way Sunday. Dallas is 3-4 on the road this season and Miami has only lost once at home. The Dolphins are favored by 1.5 points with kickoff slated for 1:25pm on Sunday.
Eagles lose to Giants
Even if everything goes right for the 49ers leading up to Monday at 1:30pm when the Eagles and Giants are set to square off at Lincoln Financial Field, there’s an exceedingly slim chance New York pulls off the necessary upset. Philadelphia is desperate for a win after losing three in a row, and they’re favored by 12 over a bad Giants club.
49ers win vs. Baltimore
The 49ers host the Ravens on Monday Night Football, and they’ll likely know by kickoff whether securing the No. 1 seed is on the line. Either way, San Francisco clinches by going 2-1 over its final 3 games. Clinching in Week 16 would take a lot of the stress off the last couple weeks though.
