49ers Playoff Picture: Standings & Scenarios for Week 17

Jimmy G Patriots Tom Brady

Getty Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers saw their playoff outlook change Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers are headed to the NFL playoffs but their seed will be determined by their matchup with the Seahawks. If the Niners defeat the Seahawks, San Francisco will be the NFC West champions and the No. 1 seed in the NFC. A loss to the Seahawks would drop the 49ers all the way down to the No. 5 seed.

If the Niners lose, they would have to take on the Eagles in Philadelphia despite having a better record. The Eagles would have home-field in the matchup since they are division winners.

San Francisco will get the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye if they are able to win the NFC West. The 49ers would then host the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Round. San Francisco will either be the No. 1 or No. 5 seed in the postseason. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan emphasized that the team would be confident regardless of their seeding.

“The goal here is always we’d much rather only have to play two games than three games, so that’s obviously what we’re going for,” Shanahan said, per NBC Sports. “Regardless of how this ends up, we’re pumped to be in the playoffs and whether we’re playing at home for two or on the road, we’re going to be excited and confident to go into any of those situations.”

San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been a key part of the Niners turnaround this season. Garoppolo noted that he believes having a short memory has been a big part of his success.

“It’s just how quickly can you forget it and move on,” Garoppolo noted, per Mercury News. “There’s a lot of football left to be played. … If you’re dwelling on one interception, you’ll be rough for the rest of the game.”

Here is a look at the 49ers playoff standings. We will update the data below after the Niners-Seahawks game.


NFC West Standings

TEAM W L T
49ers 13 3 0
Seahawks 11 5 0
Rams 9 7 0
Cardinals 5 10 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* 13 3 0
2. Packers*  13 3 0
3. Saints*  13 3 0
4. Eagles* 9 7 0
5. Seahawks* 11 5 0
6. Vikings* 10 6 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 Philadelphia Eagles
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 5 0
2. Vikings* 10 6 0
3. Rams 8 7 0
4. Bears 8 8 0
5. Cowboys 8 8 0