Rams, Seahawks and NFC West
Digest more
Colts QB Philip Rivers put on a show to remember
Digest more
Seahawks, Rams and NFL
Digest more
Here’s one very realistic outcome, if the Seahawks beat the Rams on Thursday night. With a 4-1 record in the division and a split with the Rams, the 49ers would win any tiebreakers with the Rams or Seattle (which the 49ers beat in Week 1).
If these two things happen, the 49ers would finish 13-4 and win the NFC West over a 13-4 Rams team based on the division record tiebreaker. If the Seahawks also finish 13-4 in this scenario, the 49ers would have swept them, so they'd win any tiebreaker with Seattle. At 7-to-1 odds to win the NFC West, the 49ers feel like a steal.
How Seahawks, Patriots, Jaguars, Chargers, Bills, Bears, 49ers, Eagles, Packers can clinch NFL playoff berths this week. See NFL clinching scenarios.
When Daniel Jones went down for the season with a torn Achilles, the 49ers probably figured their upcoming game against the Colts would be an easy win.
The biggest winner in the NFC besides the Seahawks is the 49ers. Besides finally having another NFC contender share in their injury misery, San Francisco's surprising path to the top seed in the NFC just got intriguing. The 49ers are 10-4 and will be the top seed in the conference if they win out and the Seahawks beat the Rams on Thursday.
Seattle ruled out left tackle Charles Cross for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. Cross suffered a hamstring injury on the game-winning field goal against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15. Cross' absence potentially leaves Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in a dangerous place against the Rams.