The San Francisco 49ers are headed to the NFL playoffs, but the seeding along with their opponent is still to be determined. Regardless of the outcome of the Niners matchup against the Rams, San Francisco will head into their Week 17 matchup with the Seahawks with a lot on the line.
Heading into Week 16, Seattle is the leader in the NFC West and holds the No. 1 seed. The Seahawks and 49ers have identical records, but Seattle currently holds the tiebreaker thanks to their win over San Francisco earlier this season. This could change if the 49ers are able to get revenge with a win in Week 17.
The 49ers would likely win the NFC West and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference if they can notch wins over the Rams and Seahawks, per USA Today. This would mean the 49ers and Seahawks split their two matchups, and it would go to a strength of victory tiebreaker where the Niners currently hold the advantage as USA Today detailed.
The tiebreakers would shake down to the fifth tiebreak – strength of victory. Their wins over the same teams all cancel each other out, so all that matters are their victories over uncommon opponents. The 49ers have the Saints, Packers and Washington: 25-17 combined. The Seahawks have the Falcons, Vikings and Eagles: 22-20 combined.
San Francisco’s group of three is on pace to finish with a better record, thus giving the 49ers the advantage in that tiebreaker. Wins by the Cowboys and Packers in Week 16 would clinch the strength of victory tiebreaker for San Francisco.
A loss to the Rams but a win over the Seahawks means the Niners would be in danger of losing one of the top two seeds. There is still a lot up for grabs for San Francisco with two weeks to go in the NFL season.
Here is a look at the 49ers playoff outlook. We will be updating the standings after the Rams-49ers matchup.
NFC West Standings: Week 16
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 49ers | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Seahawks | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Rams | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 |
NFC Playoff Standings
Teams with an asterisk have already clinched a playoff spot. Teams in bold would make the playoffs if the postseason started today.
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. 49ers* | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. Packers* | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. Saints* | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 4. Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 5. Seahawks* | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 6. Vikings* | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 7. Rams | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 8. Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 9. Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 10. Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 11. Falcons | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 12. Panthers | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 13. Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 14. Giants | 3 | 11 | 0 |
| 15. Redskins | 3 | 11 | 0 |
NFC Playoff Matchups
Here are the current NFC playoff matchups if the postseason started today. The top two seeds get a first-round bye and host a playoff game in the Divisional Round.
No. 6 Minnesota Vikings vs. No. 3 New Orleans Saints
No. 5 Seattle Seahawks vs. No. 4 Dallas Cowboys
Bye: No. 1 San Francisco 49ers, No. 2 Green Bay Packers
NFC Wild Card Standings
The top two teams in the Wild Card standings will claim a playoff spot. Teams in bold would make the playoffs if the postseason started today.
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. Seahawks* | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. Vikings* | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 3. Rams | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 4. Bears | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 5. Eagles | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 6. Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 7. Falcons | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 8. Panthers | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 9. Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 10. Redskins | 3 | 11 | 0 |
| 11. Giants | 3 | 11 | 0 |
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49ers Playoff Picture: Standings & Postseason Outlook Week 16