The San Francisco 49ers currently carry a 10-4 win-loss slate, which is good enough for first place in the NFC West. The 49ers have, in fact, officially clinched their division and a playoff berth. It's quite unlikely they'll have a shot at stealing the NFC's top seed from the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Niners are realistically aiming to finish No. 2 in the conference. They are riding high on a seven-game winning streak, which included big wins over their two in-state rivals (Rams and Chargers), the Buccaneers, the Dolphins, and most recently, the Seahawks. They have three winnable games against the Commanders, Raiders, and Cardinals to wrap their regular season up. Here, we'll look at the 49ers and their dream scenario in terms of NFL Playoff seeding and matchups.

To say that 2022 has been dramatic for San Francisco is a huge understatement. Keep in mind that they lost franchise QB Trey Lance in November. That meant they had to rely on oft-ridiculed backup Jimmy Garoppolo for much of the season. That actually went better than most expected, though Jimmy G got injured as well. Garoppolo was officially out of the season on December 19, and now the 49ers had to rely on third-string rookie Brock Purdy. The 2022 NFL Draft “Mr. Irrelevant” has, however, surpassed all projections and done quite well, too.

They also added marquee RB Christian McCaffrey out of Carolina, which has galvanized the team's offense. Take note that San Francisco is 7-1 after acquiring CMC.

Looking ahead, they host the Washington Commanders at Levi's Stadium in Week 16. It will be Purdy's next big test as the Commanders are aiming to cement their own playoff spot. Washington will certainly Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin, and Curtis Samuel to full effect against the 49ers' league-leading defense. San Francisco should have the edge unless more major injuries rear their ugly heads.

The outcome of this key game will affect the 49ers' playoff chances, of course. A loss here will potentially put more separation between them and the Minnesota Vikings, who currently hold the No. 2 spot in the NFC. However, a victory would sustain their momentum and strengthen their push for that second seed in the conference.

Having said that, let's discuss the 49ers and their dream NFL Playoff seeding and matchups.

49ers Dream Playoff Scenario

Wildcard Playoff
San Francisco 49ers vs Washington Commanders

It's interesting that the team the Niners will face in Week 16 is the team they might also face in the NFC Wildcard Playoff round. Week 16 will be the first meeting between these teams this season, so it'll be interesting to see how they do against each other.

Purdy will obviously be the underdog under center, but remember that he has averaged a 113+ passer rating over his last three appearances. He has also tallied seven total touchdowns and just one interception in that stretch. This kid will have a ton of confidence entering this week.

That said, the Commanders do have a pretty good defensive unit. They have allowed the eighth-fewest passing yards so far and the sixth-lowest completion percentage. Washington is also no pansy on the ground, allowing only eight rushing TDs this season. That's fourth-best in the league and one less than how many the 49ers have allowed.

Still, the 49ers' own defense should carry them in this game against a middling Commanders offense. Washington has already thrown 11 picks this season, and someone like Talanoa Hufanga is surely smelling blood in the water. The Commanders offensive line has also allowed 40 sacks already, which means Nick Bosa & Co. should have a field day. It'll be a defense-dominated battle that the 49ers should win.

Divisional Playoff
San Francisco 49ers vs Minnesota Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings have not faced each other in the regular season and will only meet in the playoffs if both teams advance. In this hypothetical Divisional Playoff matchup, the Vikings are assumed to have defeated maybe the New York Giants or Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Playoffs. This matchup would feature an exciting showdown between the Vikings' explosive offense against the 49ers' vaunted defense.

Minnesota's offense will hinge on the connection between QB Kirk Cousins and WR Justin Jefferson. The latter has been outstanding this season, recording over 1,600 yards already and averaging 14.6 yards per reception. If he reaches triple-digit yards in any game, the Vikings will be tough to beat. This means the onus will be on Hufanga and a hopefully healthy Charvarius Ward to slow Jefferson down.

On the ground, Dalvin Cook has been explosive if a bit inconsistent. The rushing attack is not Minnesota's main attack option so the 49ers have to shut it down as early as possible. Cousins, meanwhile, has been solid, not spectacular. He's not elite by any stretch, but he has shown that he can get the job done when needed. He has been sacked close to three times per game, though, so he's probably shaking in his boots at the prospect of Bosa going at him.

This could be a close one with the 49ers escaping by one score.

NFC Championship
San Francisco 49ers vs Philadelphia Eagles

The 49ers will be huge underdogs in this game. Sure, they'd probably be better off facing a “weaker” team like the Cowboys or the Buccaneers, but for sure the Eagles should still be around at this stage in the playoffs.

San Francisco just has to bring its A-game. Interestingly, that's exactly what they've done since acquiring CMC and having Bosa leading the defense.

For sure, Jalen Hurts will be a problem. No way Purdy can completely outplay the Eagles' star QB. And then the Niners also have to worry about Miles Sanders on the ground and the receiving duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Essentially, this will be the biggest test the 49ers defense will face.

That said, Hurts does get sacked a “healthy” amount at 2.5 per game. With Bosa on the prowl, the Eagles passer should be more than wary. Also, the Eagles aren't exactly elite in terms of defending the run. That means CMC could have a potentially explosive game that can throw Philly off on D.

The x-factor will likely be San Francisco's pass protection. The four-headed pass rush composed of Haason Reddick, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham will be a problem. If Kyle Shanahan can find a way to neutralize that and keep Purdy safe, the 49ers have a shot at a monumental upset and a return to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LVII
San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Some may want the 49ers to face no less than the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, but we'd love to see a rematch of Super Bowl LIV. A payback win by the 49ers over the Chiefs would be extremely sweet, and doing it with Purdy under center would be a fairy tale come true.

Having said that, it would take a minor miracle for the Niners to pull it off. A near-perfect outing from Purdy in addition to explosive games from CMC and Deebo Samuel will be necessary. The defense, of course, should also be airtight. Any daylight given to the Chiefs will be exploited and could open the floodgates for Patrick Mahomes' offense.

When these two teams faced each other in Week 7, the Chiefs won handily, 44-23. That was McCaffrey's first game with his new team, where he put up just 38 yards on the ground. That won't happen again. The 49ers also sacked Mahomes just once in that game, which is surely not good enough.

For the 49ers to exact revenge, they'll need no less than a stellar performance down the line from all their units.

If they manage to do that, however, then this would be the perfect ending to a roller-coaster of a season.