The San Francisco 49ers entered Week 13 in the 10th spot for the playoffs in the NFC. Of course, only seven teams per conference will earn a postseason spot. The 49ers could inch their way up the order with a win against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. Should that happen, at 6-6, Kyle Shanahan's squad would be in a three-way tie for that final playoff spot with the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals.
Sort of.
While all three teams would be tied when it comes to their records, the Cardinals currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the 49ers. Although, the teams meet again during Week 16 at State Farm Stadium. The Los Angeles Rams beat Arizona 38-28 on Sunday.
The Vikings emerged as three-point winners over the Jacksonville Jaguars. They own a better conference record than the 49ers (4-4 vs. 3-5), so as of right now, they too win the tiebreaker. But with four more weeks left in the season, anything could happen, and San Francisco could find itself in a much better situation after Monday night's game. Of course, all of that is dependent on the 49ers actually beating the Bills.
San Francisco is currently a one-point favorite in the matchup.
The Chicago Bears lost to the Detroit Lions and now sit at 5-7. The NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks also lost this weekend — to the New York Giants — but the division crown may be too far out of the picture for San Francisco. The Rams retake the top spot in the conference after a one-week drop.
Current NFC Playoff Standings (Division leaders italicized)
- New Orleans Saints, 10-2
- Green Bay Packers, 9-3
- Los Angeles Rams, 8-4
- New York Giants, 5-7
- Seattle Seahawks, 8-4
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-5
- Minnesota Vikings, 6-6
- Arizona Cardinals, 6-6
- San Francisco 49ers, 5-6
It's all a little tough to predict right now, but it could be an interesting finish to the season.