Week 14 is here, and while the San Francisco 49ers are on a bye, they're far from irrelevant in the NFC playoff picture. In fact, even without taking the field, the Niners could be one of the biggest winners of the weekend.
Let’s set the stage. The 49ers are currently 9-4 and sitting third in the NFC West, trailing both the 9-3 Rams and the 9-3 Seahawks.
It’s a tight race, and as CBS Sports pointed out, this is the latest point in any NFL season where five divisions are separated by a game or less. That’s not just rare-it’s historic.
Despite the standings, San Francisco has a leg up in the tiebreaker department. They’ve beaten both the Rams and the Seahawks head-to-head, and in the Rams’ case, also hold a better division record. But because of that extra loss on the ledger, the Niners are technically a step behind-for now.
Here’s where things get interesting. Even while idle, San Francisco is poised to benefit from the Week 14 schedule.
The top-seeded Bears also sit at nine wins, just like the 49ers. Meanwhile, the Packers-currently the No. 6 seed at 8-3-1-are set to face Chicago this weekend.
That matchup guarantees that one of those teams is going to take a hit, which could open the door for San Francisco to climb in the standings without even lacing up.
Right now, the 49ers are holding onto the No. 7 seed-the final Wild Card spot in the NFC. But with the Bears and Packers set to clash, there’s real potential for movement. If you're a Niners fan, this is one of those weekends where scoreboard-watching becomes a full-time job.
Now, as for the NFC West title? That’s still in play, but predictions aren’t leaning San Francisco’s way.
The Rams have a favorable schedule to close out the regular season, aside from a tough Week 16 showdown with Seattle. That game could end up being a de facto division championship, depending on how the next couple of weeks shake out.
Even if the division crown slips away, the 49ers are in strong position for a postseason berth. Their head-to-head wins over key rivals and favorable tiebreakers give them a significant cushion. And with Week 14 offering a slate of games that could tilt the playoff board in their favor, San Francisco’s bye week might end up being a quiet victory.
So no, there won’t be any celebratory pizza deals this week. But if a few things break the right way, the 49ers could still come out of Week 14 feeling like winners-even if they never left the couch.