The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football, 20-9. With the win, they improved to 8-4 and remain in one of the NFC Wild Card spots. But the 11-point victory did not come easily.
The 49ers' offense moved the football, but quarterback Brock Purdy struggled going downfield. Purdy threw interceptions on three consecutive first-half possessions. They also happened to be his first three throws of more than 15 air yards.
It was a far cry from his return game the preceding week when Purdy tossed three touchdown passes. Thankfully, Christian McCaffrey once again showed out in the win.
Ugly or not, a win is a win, which kept the 49ers in the seventh and final spot in the playoff picture. So, the question remains what are the chances that San Francisco either holds onto the Wild Card berth, or even wins the NFC West?
49ers' Playoff Chances
Most people believe the Wild Card is San Francisco's ticket to the postseason. But they have a better shot than most realize at earning a home playoff game by winning the NFC West.
The 49ers are 1.5 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Rams, who are 9-2. They already split the season series, with the next tiebreaker being divisional record. San Fran is 4-1, with only a home game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 remaining.
The Rams are just 2-1 in the division. They still have one against the Seahawks and both games against the Arizona Cardinals.
Admittedly, Los Angeles is playing better than any team in the NFL right now. Their rest-of-season schedule is pretty light, also. So, it is far from a slam dunk. But if San Fran can make up two games in the loss column, the tiebreaker will probably be in their favor.
I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the Seahawks currently sit between the 49ers and Rams at 8-3.
But, ok, let's say they don't win the division. The Wild Card is more amenable.
This week, the 49ers travel to Cleveland to play the Browns. As poorly as the Browns' record is, that team at home is difficult to beat. The 49ers are only favored by five points despite having five more wins. Cleveland's defense is elite, and it already beat the Green Bay Packers at home.
But even if San Fran beats Cleveland and Tennessee in Week 14, they close with the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seahawks.
The Detroit Lions are currently the 8-seed, a half-game behind the 49ers. We all know the Lions are a good football team, albeit inconsistent. Realistically, that is the only team currently behind San Fran that can catch them. The Panthers are next in the standings. They are two back of San Fran, who also owns the tiebreaker via head-to-head win.
The Dallas Cowboys are also technically alive at 5-5-1. But come on, that's not happening.
Maybe the strongest thing working in San Francisco's favor is their conference record. They are 8-2 against NFC foes, tops in the conference. If the 49ers go 3-2 down the stretch, they are all but assured a playoff berth. A 2-3 finish could make things interesting.
