The Carolina Panthers pulled off a huge upset Week 13, beating the Los Angeles Rams, 31–28.
The Panthers’ win snapped L.A.’s six-game winning streak, knocking the Rams from their perch atop the NFC. It also was a good thing for the San Francisco 49ers.
Still currently atop the NFC West, the 9-3 Rams are tied with the Seattle Seahawks (9-3), and the Niners are right behind them both at 9-4. But L.A.’s loss to Carolina — a game Matthew Stafford and company should have won on paper — could prove to be huge for San Francisco down the stretch.
“The Rams and 49ers have split their season series,” USA Today’s Jacob Camenker noted. “That means if they are tied in the standings, the tiebreaker would be based on their divisional record. At present, the 49ers have the best divisional record at 4-1. The Rams are 2-1 in divisional games while the Seahawks are 2-2.”
A Closer Look at the NFC West Standings After Rams Week 13 Loss & 49ers Win
Getty The San Francisco 49ers and QB Brock Purdy got a huge break when the rival Rams lost Week 13. The Rams loss could have huge playoff implications.
Week 13, the 49ers dominated the Cleveland Browns, winning 26–8. It wasn’t a surprise dub for the Niners, but considering how tight the NFC playoff race is right now, it was a necessary one. San Francisco can’t afford to slip like the Rams just did.
When Sunday’s full slate of games was over, the NFC playoff picture had shifted a bit. The Chicago Bears took over the No. 1 seed from Los Angeles. The Bears have the better conference record (Chicago is 6–2 in the NFC, and the Rams are 4–3), so the Bears would win the tiebreaker if the season ended today.
The Bears, Rams and Seahawks are at 9–3, the Philadelphia Eagles are 8–4, the Green Bay Packers at 8–3–1, and the 49ers are at 9–4. San Francisco is currently the No. 7 seed.
The Niners finish the season at home against the Seahawks in Week 18, so they effectively control the head-to-head tiebreaker with Seattle if they can finish strong.
A Look Ahead After the Bye
The bye week comes at the perfect moment for the 49ers, who could use some rest.
“I love where we’re at right now,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win over Cleveland. “It’s been a long wait for a bye week — I’ve never had one this late, I don’t know anyone on our team who has. It’s finally here, mentally and physically it will be awesome to rest and come back from that with four games to play for a chance to play in the playoffs is everything we could ask for.”
“Every game is so huge,” QB Brock Purdy added. “You got to find momentum throughout every game. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, good or bad, it’s about the next game. We’re obviously 9-4, we got the bye, which is great for us to heal up and feel good. But we got to have the same mindset come the end of next week.”
The 49ers’ next game will be a Week 15 home game against the lowly Tennessee Titans, who currently have the worst record in football (1–11) and an offense averaging just over 15 points per game. Because of that, the Titans matchup is a must-win. If the 49ers can continue to handle their business, they should be fine. But a slip against a team like Tennessee would change everything.
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