The NFC playoff picture just got a whole lot more interesting-and for the San Francisco 49ers, a whole lot more promising.
After the Seahawks' Thursday night win pushed them to 12-3 and gave them a one-game lead over the 11-4 Rams for both the NFC West crown and the conference’s top seed, the 49ers quietly emerged as the night’s second-biggest winners. Why? Because with the Rams’ loss, the path to the No. 1 seed-and everything that comes with it-just opened up for San Francisco.
Let’s break it down.
The math is simple, even if the road isn’t. If the 49ers win out-at Indianapolis on Monday night, then at home against the Bears and Seahawks-they’ll lock up the NFC West, secure the conference’s lone first-round bye, and earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
That’s not just a playoff berth. That’s a golden ticket to Levi’s Stadium in January, with two home games standing between them and a trip to the Super Bowl. And if they make it, it would mark the third time this decade that a team gets to play the big game in its own stadium-Tampa Bay did it in Super Bowl LV, the Rams followed in Super Bowl LVI, and now the Niners have a shot to join that elite company.
Of course, it all hinges on taking care of business over the next three weeks. The first step: a Monday night showdown in Indianapolis.
Then it’s back home for primetime matchups against Chicago and Seattle. The 49ers already own a Week 1 win over the Seahawks, and a sweep would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Combine that with a stronger divisional record than the Rams (assuming both teams win out), and San Francisco takes the crown.
A win over the Bears would also eliminate the other NFC division leaders from the top-seed conversation. That means the Niners wouldn’t just win the West-they’d own the whole conference.
And considering everything this team has battled through this season, that’s no small feat. Injuries, inconsistency, and stretches of uncertainty have defined parts of the year, but here they are, with a clear shot at a playoff run that goes through Levi’s.
If San Francisco pulls it off, Kyle Shanahan’s name deserves serious mention in the Coach of the Year conversation. Right now, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel leads the odds at +150, with Seattle’s Mike Macdonald close behind at +200. But Shanahan is gaining ground at +400-and if he guides this team to the top seed amid all the adversity they’ve faced, he’ll have a strong case.
More important than the hardware, though, is the opportunity. Three more wins in the regular season would set up three more games at home. And if the 49ers can run that table, they’ll have a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 31 years-right in front of their home crowd.
The stakes are clear. The path is set. Now it’s on the 49ers to finish the job.