Last week, the San Francisco 49ers were on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture after a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But with Brock Purdy returning from injury and delivering a strong performance, San Francisco bounced back with a decisive win over the Arizona Cardinals—another key NFC West opponent.
Although the 49ers remain third in the division at 7–4, they climbed back into postseason contention. If the season ended today, San Francisco would hold the No. 7 seed in the NFC. They benefited from the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Detroit Lions, who slipped from the No. 3 seed to No. 8, just behind the 49ers.
NFC West standings (after Week 11):
- Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
- San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
Next up, the 49ers will host the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium on Monday night before traveling to face the Cleveland Browns ahead of their bye week. With the NFC West tightening and teams like the Lions fighting to re-enter the playoff field, San Francisco can't afford to overlook anyone. Even the Panthers, now 6–5 after a win over the Atlanta Falcons, remain firmly in the postseason hunt.
If the NFL season ended today, the Rams would host the 49ers in a Wild Card Round showdown—setting up a third meeting between the rivals this season. The two teams have split their matchups so far.
NFC playoff picture (after Week 11)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)*
- Los Angeles Rams (8-2)*
- Chicago Bears (7-3)*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)*
- Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
- Green Bay Packers (6-3-1)
- San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
* Denotes division leader