If the 49ers can win their remaining two games—against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks—they will not only secure the NFC West title but also earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The win also moved San Francisco up a spot in the NFC West standings, edging the Los Angeles Rams for second place.
NFC West standings (after Week 16):
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
- San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has long emphasized staying focused on the present, but he admitted Sunday night marked the first time he discussed the playoffs with his team.
"I told them all year I didn't want to talk about that, but last night we got in, so I was able to talk about that," Shanahan said after Monday night's victory. "When you know you're in the playoffs, then you shift your goals next, and that's trying to make the playoffs the best situation we possibly can do.
"So, we'd love to try to play a home game at Levi's, and we knew the only way to do that was to [start with a] win tonight versus the Colts. We got that done, and now we gotta look to do that versus Chicago."
In the broader NFC playoff picture, the 49ers moved up a spot. If the season ended today, they would face the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card Round in Charlotte. Both San Francisco and Seattle control their own destinies—winning out guarantees home-field advantage for either team.
NFC playoff picture (after Week 16)
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)*
- Chicago Bears (11-4)*
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)*
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)*
- San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Green Bay Packers (9-5-1)
* Denotes division leader
Related News
Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article? Report it.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers rally around George Kittle in playoff win over Eagles: 'We're going to play for him the rest of the way'
The San Francisco 49ers could have let George Kittle's second-quarter injury derail their Wild Card playoff matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Instead, they rallied around their All-Pro tight end, fought through adversity, and pulled off a 23-19 road upset to... -
49ers vs. Eagles injury report: San Francisco gets massive boost before playoff clash
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Wild Card Round playoff contest against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Great news for 49ers fans: All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams returned to the practice field,... -
Key stats from the 49ers' 23-19 Wild Card playoff win vs. the Eagles
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 12-5 on the season after a 23-19 Wild Card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Below are several statistics and notes from Sunday's game, which were provided by the 49ers... -
Trick play for the ages: Behind the 49ers' wild Jauan Jennings touchdown pass in win over Eagles
Regardless of whether or not the San Francisco 49ers win in the NFC Divisional Round next week against the Seattle Seahawks, it's going to be hard to find a better highlight reel play for the 2025 team than the double reverse touchdown pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings to...