Even if the 49ers are guaranteed a postseason position going into Week 15, they won’t be taking it easy on their way to the end of the regular season.
Internally, San Francisco has low stakes. They start the week as the NFC’s top seed, and if they prevail, they’ll get home field advantage and a first-round bye in the postseason. It’s a significant benefit.
Even though they are in charge of their own fate, they can receive some assistance from other games on the schedule to give them some leeway. For example, losing to the Rams in the final week of the season or stumbling against the Commanders away the following week won’t stop them from trying to secure the top seed.
The 49ers will be playing these other games on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Broncos at Lions (Saturday at 5:00pm)
This is a really simple matter. The 49ers have no interest in Denver, but if the Lions continue to pursue the top spot, San Francisco’s head-to-head tiebreakers against Dallas and Philadelphia may be meaningless. Eliminating Detroit from the equation would be beneficial.
Commanders at Rams (Sunday at 1:05pm)
Even if the 49ers suffer a setback and fall to the Cardinals, a defeat for the Rams would mean their elimination from the NFC West race. This is merely somewhat significant because a victory for San Francisco would also guarantee a second straight division championship.
Cowboys at Bills (Sunday at 1:25pm)
The breathing room enters the picture now. The 49ers will win if the Cowboys lose, giving San Francisco a one-game advantage over Dallas in the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Eagles at Seahawks (Monday at 5:20pm)
It seems strange to type that! Unfortunately, Seattle is out of the running for the division, so a victory for them has little bearing on the 49ers, and a loss for the Eagles gives the Cowboys the same amount of leeway. With just three games remaining, a two-game lead is theoretically gained by winning a game and winning the head-to-head tiebreak.
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