The 49ers got a little help during their bye week and are back atop the NFC West thanks to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens throttled the Seahawks 37-3 in Baltimore to drop Seattle to 5-3 on the season. That ties them with the 49ers who sit at 5-3 during their week off after losing three straight heading into the bye.
Thanks to the division tiebreakers San Francisco will be considered the NFC West leader when they return to action in Week 10. The Rams and Cardinals also lost, leaving the division looking like this after Week 9:
1. 49ers (5-3)
2. Seahawks (5-3)
3. Rams (3-6)
4. Cardinals (1-8)
Head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker, but the 49ers and Seahawks haven’t played yet. That moves the tiebreaker to division record where San Francisco is 2-0 and Seattle is 1-1.
The 49ers and Seahawks play twice in Weeks 12 and 14 in two games that could ultimately decide the division.
While the winner is up in the air after Week 9, it’s clear the NFC West is a two-horse race that will likely come down to the wire much like it did in 2019.