NFC Playoff Picture: 49ers can clinch the NFC West in Seattle for second time in four seasons

The Seattle Seahawks (7-6) not only lost to the Carolina Panthers, but the San Francisco 49ers keep on humming after bludgeoning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 35-7. Six wins in a row has them at 9-4 and two games ahead of the Seahawks with four games left to play.

It doesn’t take too long to figure out the math ahead of ‘Thursday Night Football’ rematch. If the Seahawks win then they not only automatically move back into a wild card spot—the loser of the Giants-Commanders game on Sunday night will be stuck on seven wins, or they could tie again and remain on seven apiece—they will pull to within one game of the 49ers for top spot in the division. It’d still take a miracle for the Seahawks to land the NFC West title but they wouldn’t be totally out of it.

A loss by the Seahawks and the first San Francisco sweep since 2011? Well the 49ers can celebrate a division title at Lumen Field just like they did in their dramatic Week 17 victory back in 2019. San Francisco would be three games up with three to go and the Seahawks would have no tiebreaker edge possible.

The 49ers winning the NFC West is inevitable. Even with the injuries they look like they’re right alongside the Philadelphia Eagles for best team in the NFC if not the NFL entirely. It’d be cool if the Seahawks could at least hold off the celebrations by at least one week and keep their own playoff hopes alive.

Here are the full NFC Playoff Standings

Division Leaders

1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) *Clinched playoff spot

2. Minnesota Vikings (10-3)

3. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)

Wild Card

5. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)

6. Washington Commanders (7-5-1, 1-2-1 NFC East)

7. New York Giants (7-5-1, 0-3-1 NFC East)

Out

8. Seattle Seahawks (7-6)

9. Detroit Lions (6-7)

10. Green Bay Packers (5-8, 4-5 NFC, strength of victory tiebreaker > CAR)

11. Carolina Panthers (5-8, 4-5 NFC, 3-1 NFC South, strength of victory tiebreaker < GB)

12. Atlanta Falcons (5-8, 4-5 NFC, 1-3 NFC South)

13. Arizona Cardinals (4-8) [Play Monday night]

14. New Orleans Saints (4-9, win over LAR)

15. Los Angeles Rams (4-9, loss to NO)

Eliminated

16. Chicago Bears (3-10)