The San Francisco 49ers came into the 2024 NFL season as one of the Super Bowl favorites. They represented the NFC last season, and were returning the same star players and had high hopes of returning to the big game. But through the first 11 weeks of the year, they find themselves in a place that has been unfamiliar to them over the last half-decade: last place in their own division.
49ers Now In Last Place In The NFC West
There wasn’t a whole lot of panic when they got off to a 3-3 start. The 49ers have been slow out of the gates in the past, but have always put together late-season runs to get them back to the top of the standings. But after losses to the Chiefs and Seahawks over their past four games, they are digging themselves a hole that will become increasingly difficult to climb out of.
GENO SMITH HIT THE 49ERS WITH THE “NIGHT NIGHT” AFTER SCORING THE GAME-WINNING TOUCHDOWN 😴 pic.twitter.com/ONTq4XPn3m
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 18, 2024
The Arizona Cardinals are atop the NFC West with a 6-4 record. The rest of the teams in the division have identical records, with the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers all sitting at 5-5. But unfortunately for San Francisco, both Los Angeles and Seattle currently hold the tie-breakers. The Rams are ahead in the standings thanks to their head-to-head victory over the 49ers in Week 3. The matchup with Seattle has been split 1-1 after the Seahawks; win on Sunday, but Seattle has the better record against the division.
SF Has 3rd-Toughest Remaining Schedule In The NFC
The loss to the Seahawks stings extra for the 49ers. Picking up a win against a team with a losing record would have been a way to build momentum for a tough upcoming pair of games, as they are scheduled to take on the Packers and Bills between now and December 1st. Only two of their remaining seven opponents currently has a losing record, and they still have a late-season trip to Miami and a huge holiday showdown against the Lions. Based on their remaining opponent’s winning percentage, San Francisco has the 3rd-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.
While each game will be important for them from here on out, the 49ers are hoping that their regular-season finale will have meaning. It will be a matchup with the NFC West-leading Cardinals, and could be a game for the division if San Francisco is able to find a way to win some tough upcoming games.
