A loss on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals could have dealt a significant blow to the San Francisco 49ers and their projected playoff chances. Instead, the 49ers boosted their postseason outlook with a 41–22 win, improving to 7–4. However, they remain in third place in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
Stephen Oh of SportsLine—CBS Sports' analytics platform for odds, picks, and projections—ran the latest NFL simulations to predict the playoff field. His model projects the Rams to win the NFC West and earn the No. 2 seed behind the Philadelphia Eagles, with the Seahawks claiming the No. 5 seed as a Wild Card team.
The NFC West is well-represented in the projections, as Oh also has the 49ers securing a playoff berth as the No. 6 seed. That would give the division three postseason teams.
The return of quarterback Brock Purdy has played a significant role in the 49ers' improved outlook.
"With Brock Purdy back in the lineup, the computer seems to be a big fan of the 49ers (7-4)," wrote John Breech of CBS Sports. "San Francisco is being given an 80.4% chance of making the postseason, which means the computer is pretty confident that the NFC West is going to be sending three teams into the playoffs."
San Francisco's remaining schedule—starting with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans—provides opportunities to solidify its position. However, the 49ers will close the season with a challenging three-game stretch against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seahawks.
SportsLine's projections set up a potential Wild Card playoff rematch between the 49ers and the No. 3 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who defeated San Francisco 30–19 in Week 6.
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