LAS VEGAS — The 49ers’ regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals will kick off at 1:25 p.m. Sunday, and the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed will still be hanging in the balance.
That’s because the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) won’t host their game against the New York Giants (9-6-1) until the same kickoff time.
If the 49ers (12-4) win a 10th straight game and the Eagles lose a third straight, the 49ers would complete an improbable path to the NFC playoffs’ No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and a bye for the wild-card round.
The 49ers currently are positioned as the NFC’s No. 2 seed, by virtue of having a better record in conference play (9-2) than the Minnesota Vikings (12-4 overall; 7-4 in NFC games). The Vikings visit the Chicago Bears (3-13) in a 10 a.m. (PT) kickoff, so that results should be in before the 49ers kick off at Levi’s Stadium against the Cardinals, who’ve lost six in a row.
The Eagles and the Vikings both lost Sunday while the 49ers rallied to win 37-34 in overtime against the host Las Vegas Raiders.
When coach Kyle Shanahan relayed word inside the 49ers locker room that they’d moved up from the Nos. 3 to 2 seed Sunday, it “fires the guys up” knowing they moved into the No. 2 seed Sunday and can secure at least that “if we can take care of business,” Shanahan said after the game.
“With Philly losing, it sounds like we’ve got a chance at the other one, too,” Shanahan added in reference to the No. 1 seed. “So, our playoffs started a long time ago, is the way we look at it. And we’re going to keep it going.”
Three years ago, the 49ers secured the No. 1 seed by winning their regular-season finale at Seattle, paving their path to the Super Bowl with wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers after a wild-card bye. Last season, the 49ers secured the NFC’s No. 6 seed by winning an overtime, regular-season finale at the Los Angeles Rams, then the 49ers won at Dallas and Green Bay before falling in the NFC Championship Game to the Rams.
Saturday’s NFL tripleheader will consist of AFC matchups: Chiefs at the Raiders, the Ravens at the Bills, and the Titans at the Jaguars.
Sunday’s other games are: the NFC South-champion Bucs (8-8) at the Falcons (6-10), the Panthers (6-10) at the Saints (7-9), the Rams (5-11) at the Seahawks (8-8), the Cowboys (12-4) at the Commanders (7-8-1), and, in the night game, the Lions (8-8) at the Packers (8-8).
The Packers would clinch the NFC’s final wild-card berth if they win; the Lions would get it if they win and the Seahawks lose; the Seahawks would be playoff-bound if they win and the Packers lose.
Source: www.mercurynews.com