The Baltimore Ravens knocked off the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on Sunday. The 49ers fall to 10-2, the same record as the New Orleans Saints.
San Francisco holds onto the No. 1 spot, for now, thanks to its record against NFC opponents. The Saints' two losses this season both came against conference opponents.
The 49ers and Saints will face each other next weekend in New Orleans, so that game becomes a significant NFC matchup.
Another impactful game will be Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers' loss on Sunday and a Seahawks win on Monday would drop San Francisco to the No. 5 seed because of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Below is how the NFC playoff picture looks following the 49ers' Week 13 loss, and the seeding if the season ended right now. The teams' records are shown in parenthesis.
NFC division leaders with bye weeks
1 Seed: San Francisco 49ers (10-2)
2 Seed: New Orleans Saints (10-2)
NFC division leaders in the Wild Card round
3 Seed: Green Bay Packers (9-3)
Breer: Why the 49ers should be 'just fine' after roster overhaul
By David Bonilla
Mar 24
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has been working to ease the concerns of San Francisco 49ers fans since free agency began. The team has lost several key contributors while shedding expensive veterans, yet it has done little in free agency to offset those departures. Notable...
Surprisingly, this question is being asked so frequently, but if we approach it objectively, the answer is quite straightforward. The short response is that the 49ers should not part ways with Kyle Shanahan or John Lynch, as they consistently win and most teams in the NFL would...
Kyle Juszczyk reveals why he returned to the 49ers
By David Bonilla
Mar 18
The release of Kyle Juszczyk seemed logical, especially given the San Francisco 49ers' offseason roster purge. Most believed the fullback's time in the Bay Area was over. He even visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, which appeared to be a likely next destination for the...
Why Mac Jones joining the 49ers won't affect Brock Purdy's extension talks
By David Bonilla
Mar 19
Some believe that the signing of quarterback Mac Jones—a player head coach Kyle Shanahan coveted in the 2021 NFL Draft before ultimately choosing Trey Lance—was a negotiation tactic by the San Francisco 49ers in their contract extension talks with Brock Purdy....