placeholder image

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports


Examining every 49ers playoff scenario

Brian Renick
Jan 4, 2022 at 9:00 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The 49ers have a simple mission this coming Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams—win, and they're in the playoffs.

They can still back into the playoffs, even if they lose to the Rams, as long as the Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons as well, but that's not the scenario the team is likely hoping for.

There are five games that have playoff implications in the NFC:

  • 49ers at L.A. Rams
  • Cowboys at Eagles
  • Panthers at Buccaneers
  • Seahawks at Cardinals
  • Saints at Falcons

*Green Bay locked up the No. 1 seed by virtue of their victory on Sunday Night Football against Minnesota.
*If the Rams lose and the Cardinals win, the Cardinals will be NFC West champions. If the Cardinals lose, the Rams will be NFC West champions, regardless of the outcome of their game against the 49ers.

Below are the many different scenarios that could occur in Week 18 and the implications they would have for the 49ers. I used ESPN's NFL Playoff Machine.

IF 49ers, Buccaneers, and Cardinals WIN


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. Tampa Bay
  3. Arizona
  4. Dallas
  5. L.A. Rams
  6. San Francisco
  7. Philadelphia

The 49ers would travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals for the 3rd time this season.

IF 49ers, Cowboys, and Buccaneers WIN, Cardinals LOSE


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. Tampa Bay
  3. Dallas
  4. L.A. Rams
  5. Arizona
  6. San Francisco
  7. Philadelphia

The 49ers would travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys, a storied rivalry that would likely draw a primetime spot.

IF 49ers and Cardinals WIN, Buccaneers LOSE


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. Arizona
  3. Tampa Bay
  4. Dallas
  5. L.A. Rams
  6. San Francisco
  7. Philadelphia

The 49ers would travel to Tampa Bay to take on the defending Super Bowl champions. A Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Tom Brady matchup would surely get national attention.

*If the 49ers win, and the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Cardinals all lose, L.A. would win the NFC West and would flip positions with the Cardinals, leaving the 49ers playoff matchup the same.

IF 49ers and Cowboys WIN, Buccaneers and Cardinals LOSE


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. Dallas
  3. L.A. Rams
  4. Tampa Bay
  5. Arizona
  6. San Francisco
  7. Philadelphia

The 49ers would travel to face the Rams in back-to-back weeks, and attempt to beat them for the third time this season. That seems like a tall task.

IF 49ers and Saints LOSE, Cowboys WIN


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. L.A. Rams
  3. Tampa Bay
  4. Dallas
  5. Arizona
  6. San Francisco
  7. Philadelphia

IF 49ers, Saints, and Cowboys LOSE


Final Standings
  1. Green Bay
  2. L.A. Rams
  3. Tampa Bay
  4. Dallas
  5. Arizona
  6. Philadelphia
  7. San Francisco

This is the only scenario in which San Francisco would be the 7th seed in the NFC. They would travel to Los Angeles for a rubber match against the Rams.

I ran a Twitter poll last week asking fans who they would rather see in a first-round playoff matchup, and a third go-round with the Rams was the winner after 709 votes.


I'm not sure I agree with the fans there. It would be incredibly difficult to beat a team three times in the same season, and the only other scenario that has them playing the Rams involves the 49ers, Saints, and Eagles all losing on Sunday. Backing into the playoffs is not my idea of momentum.

The only true outcome that matters on Sunday is a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in order to punch the 49ers' ticket to the playoffs.

The rest is up to the Football Gods.



Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

No Huddle Podcast: What Are The 49ers' Plans For The Future?

By Site Staff
Mar 19

(Episode 322) — Al Sacco and Brian Renick react to the Zach Wilson rumors, what the 49ers should look for in QB2, negative Al speaks up, how the offensive side of the ball is complete for now, replacing all of the superstars will be a challenge, why the 49ers need to draft well this year and next, and more. Note: This episode was recorded before news of Josh Dobbs' signing. The audio for the show is embedded above. Remember to subscribe! You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on


placeholder image

5 things to know about new 49ers QB Joshua Dobbs

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 18

Joshua Dobbs became the latest addition to the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback room after agreeing to a one-year contract with the team on Monday. Dobbs, 28, has 2,920 passing yards in 21 games (14 starts) with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in seven NFL seasons. He also has 91 carries for 496 yards and six rushing touchdowns and a 3-11 record overall as a starter. Dobbs comes to 49ers as a well-traveled NFL veteran who most recently was with the Minnesota Vikings. But Dobbs isn't any ordinary NFL quarterback. Let's take a look at what to know about him as he begins his time with the 49ers. The Joshua Dobbs "world tour" reaches San Francisco The 49ers are Dobbs' eighth team since joining the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick of


placeholder image

Details emerge on 49ers' 1-year deals with Jon Feliciano and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

By Site Staff
Mar 19

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles recently re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on one-year deals. OverTheCap.com has revealed the contract information for both deals. Feliciano signed a contract that includes the minimum base salary for a player with eight accrued seasons of experience—$1.21 million. Flannigan-Fowles' base salary is slightly higher, at about $1.77 million. Feliciano is scheduled to count about $2.28 million against the 2024 salary cap, while Flannigan-Fowles is slated to consume almost $1.3 million. The linebacker's reduced impact is due to the 49ers using a portion of up to $1.45 million of salary that won't count against the salary cap for veteran players. The 49ers are paying Feliciano a


placeholder image

New Netflix show "Receiver" will feature 49ers' Deebo Samuel and George Kittle

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

After the success of "Quarterback," the NFL has announced a new series on Netflix called "Receiver." This series will follow a similar format but focus on those who haul in passes. San Francisco 49ers fans will be delighted to learn that two popular team players, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, will be among those featured in the upcoming show. The two 49ers stars are among the most charismatic individuals on the roster, so it's easy to see why they were chosen for the series. The other stars of the show will be Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone