While the San Francisco 49ers rest up during their Week 14 bye, the NFC playoff picture is about to shift - and they’re guaranteed to come out ahead. That’s not a prediction.
It’s a mathematical lock. Even without taking the field, the Niners will move up in the standings this weekend.
Currently sitting as the NFC’s No. 7 seed, the 49ers are set to climb to at least the No. 6 spot - and depending on how a few key games shake out, they could even leap as high as the No. 2 seed. Yes, seriously.
Let’s start with what’s certain: the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers face off this weekend, and someone has to lose. That alone guarantees the 49ers a bump.
Here’s how it breaks down:
- If the Packers win, the Bears fall behind the 49ers based on NFC record.
- If the Bears win, the Packers drop below the 49ers in overall win percentage.
Either way, San Francisco moves up one rung.
But that’s just the beginning.
There’s also a path - albeit a slightly more chaotic one - for the 49ers to make a serious jump into the top tier of the NFC. If both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks lose this weekend, San Francisco vaults all the way to the No. 2 seed. That’s a big “if,” but it’s not out of the question.
Let’s look at the matchups.
The Rams are taking on the Arizona Cardinals, a team that’s been searching for answers all season. The Cardinals have struggled to find consistency, but divisional games have a way of getting weird - and Arizona has pulled off upsets before.
The Rams are favored by 8.5 points, so yes, it would be an upset. But in a rivalry game, that kind of spread doesn’t always mean much.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks are heading to Atlanta to face the Falcons. Seattle is favored by a touchdown, but they’re not the same team away from Lumen Field. The Falcons, while inconsistent, have enough firepower to make things interesting, especially at home.
If just one of those teams - Rams or Seahawks - stumbles, the 49ers still benefit. A single loss between the two moves San Francisco up to the No. 5 seed. So while a jump to No. 2 would require a few dominoes to fall just right, a move up to No. 5 is very much in play.
The beauty of this scenario? The 49ers don’t have to lift a finger.
While other NFC teams battle it out, San Francisco gets to rest, recover, and watch the standings tilt in their favor. Whether it’s just one step up or a leap toward the top, the 49ers are winning this weekend - without ever stepping on the field.
In a tight NFC race where every edge matters, this is the kind of bye week that could quietly shape the playoff picture.