The 49ers have put their ugly 3-4 start well into the rearview mirror and now after Week 13 find themselves in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot and perhaps an NFC West championship.
San Francisco did its part Sunday with a 33-17 win over the Dolphins, but they didn’t get much help around the rest of the NFL schedule. They needed losses from one or both of the Vikings and Seahawks. Minnesota got a red zone stop in the closing seconds to secure a win over the Jets, while Seattle scored a last-second touchdown to steal a win against the Rams.
Here’s what the NFC playoff picture looks like heading into Week 14:
1. Eagles (11-1)
2. Vikings (10-2)
3. 49ers (8-4)
4. Buccaneers (6-6)
5. Cowboys (9-3)
6. Giants (7-4-1)
7. Seahawks (7-5)
8. Commanders (7-5-1)
If the playoffs started next week the 49ers would host the Giants at Levi’s Stadium.
There’ll be plenty of movement between Weeks 13 and 18 though, especially with that cluster of teams between the Nos. 6 and 8 seeds.
The key for the 49ers will be winning their division and holding onto the No. 3 seed to steal at least one home playoff game since it looks like rookie signal caller Brock Purdy will be under center for any San Francisco playoff games. Getting him the added benefit of a home game could be crucial.
This is going to be a fascinating playoff race over the final few weeks, and the 49ers are still in a good spot.
