49ers skyrocket into NFC playoff picture after Week 6

Week 6 may mark a turning point in the 2024 season for the San Francisco 49ers.

After stumbling through the first five weeks, the 49ers righted the ship with a 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. The win put San Francisco in first place in the NFC West by way of head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks.

With the Arizona Cardinals loss to the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers were guaranteed to end Week 6 with a share of first place in their division. They also skyrocketed up the NFC standings and firmly into the playoff picture.

The 49ers entered Week 6 at No. 14 out of 16 teams in the NFC thanks to a putrid 0-3 record in the conference that dropped them below other 2-3 teams because of tiebreakers.

After Week 6 the 49ers now find themselves in position to host a home playoff game. Here’s what the playoff picture looks like entering Week 7:

1. Vikings (5-0)
2. Falcons (4-2)
3. Commanders (4-2)
4. 49ers (3-3)
5. Lions (4-1)
6. Bears (4-2)
7. Buccaneers (4-2)

Step 1 for the 49ers was getting themselves back into the playoff picture after starting the year on the outside looking in. A third of the way through the year they’re in a better spot and their path ahead is clear.

San Francisco’s goal is obtaining the No. 1 seed. That still seems a ways off since they’re 2.5 games back of the Vikings for that spot and Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The more immediate focus should just be climbing the standings and trying to gain some separation from their NFC West rivals.

Moving ahead isn’t going to be easy for the 49ers. They host the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys before their bye week. Those games won’t be easy, but thanks to Week 6, San Francisco is in a position to perhaps get as high as No. 2 in the NFC before getting a much-needed week off where reinforcements could be coming off of IR.

Week 6 was big for the 49ers, but it only put them back on track. Every game moving forward will be even bigger if they’re going to re-assert their dominance in the NFC.

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