It seemed unlikely that the San Francisco 49ers would clinch home-field advantage in Week 17. In addition to beating the Washington Commanders on the road, the team required two other outcomes: the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles facing defeats.
On Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys narrowly defeated the Lions at home, albeit with a little controversy at the end. The 49ers and Eagles kicked off their Sunday matchups at the same time. San Francisco did their part, beating the Commanders at FedEx Field. Philadelphia was a 12.5-point favorite against the Arizona Cardinals, creating an unlikely scenario that the 49ers would go three-for-three this weekend.
However, the Cardinals pulled off the 35-31 upset, allowing the 49ers to secure the top seed in the NFC. With that comes a first-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage, which ensures that the path to Super Bowl 58 runs through Levi's Stadium.
Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle celebrating the Cardinals scoring. Cc: @MikeSilver pic.twitter.com/uuxEjXyh7O
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) December 31, 2023
The Niners will conclude the regular season at home against the Los Angeles Rams, a matchup holding less significance for the Bay Area squad. Once the postseason begins, San Francisco will await the weakest-seeded winner from the Wild Card Round.