The 49ers won’t be able to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed with a win over the Ravens on Monday night. They did get a little help in their hunt for the No. 1 seed though.
To clinch that top spot in the conference the 49ers needed a win and to see the Lions, Cowboys and Eagles all lose in Week 16. Philadelphia won’t play until Monday afternoon, but the Lions and Cowboys both played Sunday.
Detroit snuck past the Vikings 30-24 in a game that ended on an interception thrown by former 49ers QB Nick Mullens, who started the game for Minnesota. The Lions moved to 11-4 with the win and stayed one game behind the 49ers.
Dallas, on the other hand, did not stay one game back when they lost 22-20 to the Dolphins on a last-second field goal by Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders. That loss dropped the Cowboys to 10-5, which puts them two games behind the 49ers in the hunt for the top seed. It also puts them behind the 10-4 Eagles.
The Cowboys are now the No. 5 seed heading into Monday. Philadelphia is the No. 3, and Detroit is the No. 2 behind San Francisco.
If the 49ers get a win over the Ravens on Monday, it will eliminate Dallas from the race for the No. 1 seed.
If the Eagles lose Monday, and the 49ers win, the Eagles would also be. out of the running and San Francisco would only be battling Detroit down the stretch.
Monday night’s game vs. Baltimore isn’t necessarily a must-win for San Francisco, but it’s a huge game for them in the standings that would only become bigger if the Giants somehow upset the heavily-favored Eagles.
