49ers playoff Updated what scenarios for San Francisco to clinch NFC
The 49ers entered Week 16 knowing that they had the inside track to win the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
That still rings true, but gone is San Francisco’s chance to lock it up for Christmas.
The 49ers are playing the Ravens on “Monday Night Football” on Monday night in a game that many believe could be a Super Bowl preview. It will certainly behoove San Francisco to win that game to solidify its standing in the NFC, but nothing consequential can be clinched.
Here’s what to know about the 49ers’ playoff picture as the NFC West champions look to further establish themselves as the team to beat in the conference.
49ers playoff picture
The 49ers entered Week 16 with the best record in the NFC at 11-3. That positions them as the No. 1 seed in the conference, and they have already clinched one of the top three seeds, at the very least.
The 49ers clinched the NFC West last week after their win over the Cardinals. As such, they need only to focus on outplaying the Eagles, Cowboys and Lions in the race for the No. 1 seed.
The 49ers have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule among those teams over the season’s final three weeks. That should benefit them given the lead they have in the standings and the head-to-head tiebreakers they own over the Cowboys and Eagles.
San Francisco’s 9-1 conference record should also give it a major edge over Detroit, whose record sits at 7-3 against NFC opponents. So all told, the No. 1 seed looks like the 49ers’ to lose, though they aren’t guaranteed to get it.
49ers clinching scenarios
As mentioned, the 49ers have already clinched the NFC West, and they no longer have a clinching scenario in play for Week 16.
Entering the week, San Francisco could have officially earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if it beat the Ravens on “Monday Night Football” and the NFC’s three other 10-win teams lost.
However, the Lions were able to beat the Vikings in their head-to-head matchup on Sunday. That ensured that the 49ers will have to go at least one more week before they can wrap up the No. 1 seed.
That said, the 49ers can give themselves a win-and-clinch scenario for the No. 1 seed in Week 17 if they beat the Ravens. That will serve as motivation to them even if they aren’t able to earn the No. 1 seed on Christmas.
The 49ers have the 16th-hardest remaining schedule in the NFL over the last three weeks of the season. That puts them right in the middle of the pack among the league’s top teams.
The Ravens are the toughest opponent remaining on San Francisco’s schedule, as they are tied with the 49ers for the best record in the NFL. That will provide the team with one of its biggest tests of the season, and winning it won’t be easy.
If the 49ers win that, then they should clinch the No. 1 seed during a Week 17 matchup with a reeling Commanders squad. But lose to Baltimore, and the end of San Francisco’s season could get a lot more interesting.
Still, there’s a reason that Sporting News’ expert prediction model gave the 49ers a 92.5 percent chance of earning the No. 1 seed entering Week 16. It would take a major stumble for any of the other NFC contenders to catch them with a game and tiebreaker in hand this late in the season.
