The 49ers will have Sunday off as they prepare for a Monday night bout with the Vikings in Minnesota. That means a Sunday full of football where San Francisco’s place in the standings could be helped (or hurt) while they’re not playing.
With the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and the race for the NFC West division crown in mind, let’s look at a handful of games that have an effect on the 49ers, and which teams the 49ers should be rooting for in those games:
Lions at Ravens
49ers rooting interest: Ravens
The Lions are quietly tied with the 49ers and Eagles atop the NFC. Given that they finished last season on such a tear it’s impossible to rule out Detroit as just a hot team. They’re very much contenders in the conference and Sunday’s game vs. the Ravens might be the last one they’re not favored in for awhile. San Francisco would love to see Baltimore halt the Lions’ four-game win streak.
Steelers at Rams
49ers rooting interest: Steelers
San Francisco would love to see its Week 1 opponent take down its division rival from Los Angeles. The Rams are sitting at 3-3, and a loss to a not-so-good Pittsburgh club would likely put LA in the rearview for good in the NFC West race.
Cardinals at Seahawks
49ers rooting interest: Cardinals
Arizona is already out of the picture at 1-5, so a win for them wouldn’t impact the 49ers nearly as much as a Seahawks loss would. It’s unlikely the Cardinals swing an upset in Seattle, but it would be a tremendous help for the 49ers since they haven’t been able to get a ton of separation between themselves and their division rivals from the Pacific Northwest.
Dolphins at Eagles
49ers rooting interest: Dolphins
Pretty simple one here. The Eagles are one of the three teams tied atop the NFC. A loss for them is one of the best things that can happen for San Francisco. Plus, this is a big Mike McDaniel house.
