Week 17 will determine a lot when it comes to the NFC playoff picture. A San Francisco 49ers win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night will give the Kyle Shanahan-led squad home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a much-needed first-round bye. The team, after all, has not had an extended break since Week 4.
With a loss, the 49ers will plummet to the No. 5 seed and head on the road for Wildcard weekend.
San Francisco is 4-3 since winning its first eight games of the season. Those three losses have been by a combined 13 points, including a meaningless special-teams touchdown by the Atlanta Falcons on the final play of that Week 15 matchup. The 49ers are, however, coming off a thrilling 34-31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night.
The Seahawks have lost two of their last three, including a surprising loss at home on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. The team signed running back Marshawn Lynch on Monday night after losing Chris Carson (hip) and C.J. Prosise (broken arm) for the remainder of the season.
Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each.
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 3
"San Francisco continues to fare well in tight games, a useful skill come January. On a below-average night for Jimmy Garoppolo (71.2 rating), contributions came from the entire roster as six receivers combined for 248 receiving yards while two backs plus Deebo Samuel ground out 119 rush yards. The Niners can ice the NFC's No. 1 seed with a win against Seattle next weekend." — The MMQB Staff
USA Today
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 4
"Battered defense limping into playoffs after allowing nearly 27 points per game over last eight weeks." — Nate Davis
ESPN
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 3
"His final receiving numbers won't approach the record-breaking standard he set last season but, believe it or not, Kittle has been even better in 2019. Despite missing two games with ankle and knee injuries, Kittle was easily the Niners' most indispensable player. As a punishing blocker and a dynamic receiving threat, Kittle does it all for the Niners, making him one of the most valuable non-quarterbacks in the league." — Nick Wagoner
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 4
"The 49ers have been on the wrong end of some tough last-second losses this season, so consider Saturday's 34-31 win over the Rams as an act of balance for the scales. Knocking the defending NFC champions from the postseason conversation while strengthening your own playoff positioning makes the victory all the sweeter." — Dan Hanzus
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 5
Previous rank: 6
"The defensive issues we saw against the Rams have to be concerning. The Seahawks will certainly challenge that defense this week." — Pete Prisco