The San Francisco 49ers are heading into their late Week 14 bye week after a 26-8 win over the Cleveland Browns this past weekend, which improved their record to 9-4.
That put them just a half-game back of both the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with five weeks left. With the bye week finally here, the 49ers will look to get healthy before a crucial last stretch of the season.
After the bye, the 49ers face the Tennessee Titans at home before traveling to face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Then, they finish the year with back-to-back home contests against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.
Three of those four teams are firmly in the playoff race. One is the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Another is right with San Francisco in the NFC West battle.
With a playoff berth on the line, let’s rank the last four games by importance for the 49ers.
No. 4: Week 16 @ Indianapolis
This is a game between potential playoff teams. But, when it comes to playoff tiebreakers and things of that sort, a game versus an AFC team doesn’t matter as much as facing potential NFC contenders.
This one is also on the road, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers were underdogs, even with Indianapolis’s current slide. They also get one extra day to prepare for it, with this one being a Monday Night Football game.
Yes, it would certainly be good to win this one, as 11 wins should lock the 49ers into a playoff spot. But, of the four games, it’s the least important.
No. 3: Week 17 vs. Chicago
This might be a surprise, but I’m putting the Bears game as third on the list. Yes, Chicago is the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they very well could be fighting with San Francisco for a playoff spot, so that head-to-head would be important.
But, 10 or 11 games should get the 49ers in the playoffs. And, outside of the 49ers, the Bears have quite a rough schedule. They face the Packers twice, the Lions, and the Browns in addition to San Francisco. That’s why the 49ers have a higher chance to make the playoffs currently, despite Chicago being the No. 1 seed in the conference at 9-3.
The Bears and their opponents could very well make up the entire playoff picture in the NFC. But, while this game is important (all are at this stage) and would very much be beneficial, it doesn’t crack the top two on this list.
No. 2: Week 15 vs. Tennessee
This might be a surprise to have the Tennessee game at No. 2.
But, to me, this one is an absolute must-win. Being at 10-4 with three games to go in a packed NFC playoff race is the perfect position to be if you’re the 49ers.
If they somehow drop a game to the 1-11 Titans, they’d be in a much different place at 9-5, where those tiebreakers against Seattle and Chicago could really make or break a playoff berth.
Of the four, this is the likeliest win for the 49ers. And it’s nearly the most important, given the difference between this one and other games.
No. 1: Week 18 vs. Seattle
This is an obvious one. It’s a rivalry game in the division with tiebreakers and playoff implications almost surely around it.
The 49ers have already beaten the Seahawks once this year. Throughout the year, both teams have changed. The 49ers have seen some big injuries, while Seattle has really emerged as one of the best teams in the NFL.
That one could determine playoff seeding in the NFC with Seattle currently at 9-3 and the 49ers at 9-4. It may even be a difference-maker for the NFC West if Los Angeles, standing at 9-3, has another unexpected loss.
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