The San Francisco 49ers have set themselves up well through the first 13 weeks of the season, putting together a 9-4 record despite injuries to key players on all three phases.
With five weeks left in the regular season, the 49ers are in third place in the division and seventh in the conference. And while they’re finally getting some much-needed rest during their Week 14 bye, other teams will still be playing, and those games will impact the 49ers.
Here’s a list of what the 49ers and their fans should be rooting for while they enjoy the week off:
San Francisco will already move up to No. 6 no matter who wins between Chicago and Green Bay, but the Packers winning would put them ahead of the 49ers by just percentage points due to Green Bay’s tie with Dallas earlier this year.
If the Seahawks and Rams both lost, the 49ers could jump all the way up to the second seed in the conference, but that would be a tall ask.
The other three (Saints over Buccaneers, Commanders over Vikings and Chargers over Eagles) just make life a bit easier for San Francisco. While neither Minnesota nor Washington is currently in the playoffs, the loser of that game will eliminate themselves, and with the Commanders having a worse record, that makes them less likely to steal a wild-card spot.
More 49ers: 49ers statistical leaders heading into Week 14 bye