And just like that, the 2022 NFL regular season is in the books. Following the Week 18 win vs. the Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers finished No. 2 in the NFC. This will be the third time in the last five seasons they will be in the playoffs, which included a Super Bowl appearance in 2019. With the team set to face the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round on Saturday, it's time for some San Francisco 49ers 2023 NFL Playoffs predictions.

To wrap up the regular season, the Niners defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38-13 at home. With that result, San Francisco had 10 consecutive wins. The team finished 13-4, sweeping the NFC West.

After starting the season slowly, the Niners had an outstanding second half and should have plenty of motivation for the playoffs. They will go after their first Super Bowl victory in nearly three decades. For that to happen, they might have to face big names such as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.

While the road is tough, the strong winning streak proved that fans cannot sleep on the Niners. With that being said, here are some bold predictions for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Playoffs after their Week 18 win versus the Cardinals.

*Watch NFL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

3. Nick Bosa makes a strong case for best defender in the league

Since he joined the 49ers, Nick Bosa has been among the best defenders in the league. In addition to winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, he earned the first of his three Pro Bowl selections in just his first year as a pro.

In the 2022 regular season, things were not different. The defensive end recorded 18.5 sacks, the best mark in the league. He also had 51 total tackles with 41 being solo, 19 tackles for loss and 48 quarterback hits. Additionally, he forced two fumbles.

Thanks to those performances, Bosa was named a Pro Bowler this season. Not only that but he is one of the frontrunners for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

In the playoffs, he should continue his dominance. The Seahawks allowed 46 sacks, placing them in the bottom 10 in that category. Other potential opponents such as the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings also allowed 40-plus sacks in the regular season.

Because of that, Bosa should have some of the best defensive displays in the playoffs. Even though it won't count for the voting, he will show how much he deserves the Defensive Player of the Year trophy.

2. Brock Purdy shows his inexperience but still plays well

Perhaps one of the most surprising stories from the 2022 season was the emergence of Brock Purdy. The rookie out of Iowa State started the season as a third-string quarterback, but injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo gave him a job as the 49ers QB1.

As 2022's Mr. Irrelevant, fans had little to no expectations for Purdy in his rookie campaign. However, he accepted the challenge as a starter and did not disappoint. The Niners went 5-0 with him in the starting lineup, and he earned the nickname “Mr. Relevant.”

In nine total games, he completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns against four interceptions. He also added a score on the ground.

Since this will be his first postseason journey, he might have some extra nerves. Expect some mistakes that he did not commit in the regular season as he navigates through a bigger stage with no experience. Still, those should not affect Purdy as he continues his hot streak. The young quarterback will keep throwing good passes for touchdowns, creating a question mark in head coach Kyle Shanahan's mind for the future.

1. San Francisco makes it to the NFC Championship Game

It is difficult to ignore how well the 49ers closed out the regular season. The 10 consecutive wins should not only motivate them but should scare their opponents.

In the Wild Card round, San Francisco will face a Seattle team that struggled after its bye week. The Seahawks lost four out of their seven games, including to the 49ers in Week 15. Additionally, they lost to the Las Vegas Raiders and needed overtime to defeat the Los Angeles Rams.

Should the Niners advance past Seattle, they will still play at home since they cannot face the Eagles in the Divisional Round. Because of that, they should have a big advantage as they will be in Levi's Stadium with their home fans.

The bold prediction is that San Francisco will end up reaching the NFC Championship Game. This would be the third time the team make it to the conference title game in the last four seasons. The problem is that they will most likely face the Eagles in Philadelphia. If that is the case, it will be very hard to upset the Birds on the road. At the end of the day, the 49ers' season will be remembered for years to come.