No Huddle: 49ers Stay Undefeated Behind Their Offensive Stars →
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports


Ranking the 49ers’ potential divisional round matchups in 2020 NFL playoffs

Chris Wilson
Jan 5, 2020 at 11:38 AM0


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

As the San Francisco 49ers enjoy their first-round bye in the 2020 NFL playoffs, here's who Niner fans should root for during Wild Card Weekend.


Although the San Francisco 49ers earned a weekend off by defeating the Seattle Seahawks in last week's 26-21 thriller, the team and its fans will be glued to their televisions on Sunday for the NFC's pair of Wild Card matchups.

Today's playoff slate features two exciting games, beginning with a rematch of the Minneapolis Miracle, as the Minnesota Vikings travel to the Bayou to take on the New Orleans Saints at 10:05 a.m. PT. The NFL's 2020 Wild Card Weekend then comes to a close with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Seahawks at 1:40 p.m. PT.

With the Saints owning the No. 3 seed in the NFC, the Niners will face the lowest-seeded squad from the three remaining playoff teams: the Vikings, the Eagles and the Seahawks.

By the end of the day, San Francisco will know which team will be forced to travel to the Bay Area for next Saturday's playoff showdown at Levi's Stadium against the top-seeded 49ers. Although each potential opponent should prove to be a worthy challenger for the 13-3 Niners, the coaching staff, players and fans certainly have their preferences for next weekend's long-awaited playoff game.

So, who should the Faithful root for during today's games? Here's my ranking of the 49ers' potential divisional round matchups:

3. Seattle Seahawks


Although the Seahawks aren't the best team of the three, they are the least desirable potential opponent for San Francisco in the divisional round. Given how the 49ers have struggled against Seattle over the past decade, defeating their NFC West rival for a second time this season seems like a daunting task.

In addition, both the Vikings and the Eagles would need to lose for the Seahawks to face off against the Niners next weekend, which means the 49ers would be forced to face a superior team -- the Packers or the Saints -- if they reach the NFC Championship game.

2. Minnesota Vikings


The Vikings are the top team of the bunch -- at least on paper -- thanks to their top-10 defense and top-10 offense. The No. 5 seed in the NFC is also well-rounded on both sides of the ball. Minnesota's defense ranks in the top-10 in Football Outsiders' DVOA against both the run and the pass, and the team's offense includes dangerous playmakers in the backfield, a pair of top-tier wide receivers and a red-zone threat at the tight end position.

The wild card for this NFC Wild Card team is quarterback Kirk Cousins, who put together his best season to date in 2019, but has a history of playing his worst when the lights shine the brightest. The Vikings remain an undesirable opponent, but Cousins' failures in big games push the team down to the No. 2 slot on the list.

1. Philadelphia Eagles


The best-case scenario for the NFC West champions is a divisional matchup with the 9-7 Eagles, who secured the NFC East title and a trip to the playoffs due to a late-season meltdown by the Dallas Cowboys, who lost five of their last eight contests. Philadelphia was inconsistent for most of the regular season, which included three straight losses and then four consecutive victories to end the year. However, the Eagles are far from a red-hot team, as none of their five December opponents ended the season with a winning record, with four of the games coming against the worst five teams in the league.

Instead, Philadelphia limped into the 2020 playoffs, both figuratively and literally, as injuries have continued to plague the team. Although the "Every Given Sunday" mantra still applies to games played on Saturday, a visit from the Eagles -- which requires victories by both Philadelphia and New Orleans -- is my No. 1 potential divisional matchup for the San Francisco 49ers.
  • Chris Wilson
  • Written by:
    You may have seen Chris Wilson's work on NFL game theory, statistical analysis, and film breakdowns at Minute Media, FanSided, Niner Noise, Insidethe49, LockedonSports, ClutchPoints, and others. Follow Chris on Twitter @cgawilson.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Potential trap game? Talanoa Hufanga, 49ers not looking past Cardinals, Joshua Dobbs

By David Bonilla
Sep 27

Everyone is excited about the Week 5 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, two Super Bowl hopefuls in the NFC. However, the Niners have a game scheduled before that clash of conference titans. San Francisco will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and there is no way head coach Kyle Shanahan or his players are looking past their next opponent. After all, the Cardinals are coming off a stunning 28-16 win over the Cowboys. "If I told you we were looking ahead to Dallas, we'd be in a bad situation," safety Talanoa Hufanga said Tuesday morning on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show. "I got great people around me, great coaches that are prepping us for Arizona. It's a great team. "They've beat Dallas. I know they lost to the Giants



"49ers look like the NFL's most complete team": Where San Francisco stands in Week 4 power rankings

By David Bonilla
Sep 26

The undefeated Miami Dolphins' 70-20 win over the winless Denver Broncos has shot them to the top of multiple power rankings. However, for most, the San Francisco 49ers sit in the top spot. Also undefeated and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the 49ers are coming off a 30-12 win over the New York Giants. The team is so well-rounded, and Brock Purdy continues to rack up the wins as the starting quarterback. San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the ninth time in franchise history and has now won 13 consecutive regular-season games dating back to Week 8 of last season. It's the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest winning streak in franchise



NFL fines Trent Williams $11,473 for "love tap" during 49ers-Giants

By David Bonilla
Sep 29

San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams informed Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group that the NFL fined him $11,000 for punching New York Giants defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson in the Week 3 matchup between the two teams. Update: Both Williams and Robinson were each fined $11,473, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. The NFL fined #49ers OT Trent Williams and #Giants DL A'Shawn Robinson $11,473 each for



49ers RB Christian McCaffrey nominated for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week

By David Bonilla
Oct 2

Running back Christian McCaffrey has once again been nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week, an award he has already won twice this season (Weeks 1 and 2). The latest nomination comes after the San Francisco 49ers' Week 4 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. McCaffrey rushed for 106 yards on 20 carries (5.3-yard average), adding three rushing touchdowns against the Cardinals. He also had seven receptions for 71 yards and a receiving touchdown, amassing an impressive 177 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns in the game. Other nominees for this week's award are Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 122 yards on 22 attempts (5.5


Featured

More by Chris Wilson

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone