The San Francisco 49ers are talented enough to win the Super Bowl, but the defending NFC champions have a lot of work to do. Entering Week 13 with a 5-6 record, the 49ers faced a must-win game against the Buffalo Bills.
Unfortunately, they were defeated soundly and have fallen to 5-7 on the season. Can San Francisco still make the playoffs? Let’s look at all the scenarios in play.
Can the 49ers Make the Playoffs?
Heading into Week 14, the San Francisco 49ers are 5-7 and now have an 11.1% chance to make the playoffs.
They have a <0.1% chance for the first seed, a 0.1% chance for the second seed, a 3.5% chance for the third seed, a 2.0% chance for the fourth seed, a <0.1% chance for the fifth seed, a 0.8% chance for the sixth seed, and a 4.7% chance for the seventh seed.
Can the 49ers Win the NFC West?
Here’s what the NFC West race looks like heading into Week 14:
- The Arizona Cardinals have a 45.0% chance to win the NFC West.
- The Seattle Seahawks have a 32.1% chance to win the NFC West.
- The Los Angeles Rams have a 17.4% chance to win the NFC West.
- The San Francisco 49ers have a 5.6% chance to win the NFC West.
Current NFC West Standings
- Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
- Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
- San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
NFC Playoff Race | Week 18
1. Detroit Lions (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
In The Hunt
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
Eliminated From Playoffs
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
14. Chicago Bears (4-12)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
16. New York Giants (3-13)
49ers’ Super Bowl Chances After Week 13
Can the 49ers win the Super Bowl? The PFN Playoff Predictor projects that San Francisco has a <0.1% chance to win it all.
49ers’ Remaining Schedule
- Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 15: vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Week 16: at Miami Dolphins
- Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 18: at Arizona Cardinals
What PFN Predicted for the 49ers vs. Bills Matchup
Here’s where the Bills and 49ers rank in various Pro Football Network metrics.
49ers
Offense+ Metric: 9th (B-)
Defense+ Metric: 17th (C)
Brock Purdy QB+ Metric: 5th (B+)
Bills
Offense+ Metric: 7th (B)
Defense+ Metric: 14th (C+)
Josh Allen QB+ Metric: 8th (B+)
This is a tough game to preview, as we don’t know who’ll be on the field for San Francisco.
Brock Purdy and Trent Williams missed last week’s loss to the Green Bay Packers due to shoulder and ankle injuries, respectively. So did Nick Bosa, who’s dealing with multiple injuries, and Charvarius Ward, who sat out the last three games after the death of his one-year-old daughter.
The Week 13 statuses are unclear for all four. If Purdy can’t play, backup Brandon Allen will start his second consecutive game. If that happens, the Bills could win in a blowout, as the Packers did last week.
However, Buffalo should win this game regardless of who plays for the 49ers.
The Bills are playing better on both sides of the ball and are on a six-game winning streak. Josh Allen is playing like an MVP candidate, and his much-maligned supporting cast is exceeding expectations.
Sure, Buffalo could suffer a letdown after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, and you always wonder whether a team will look rusty after its bye week. Plus, we all know the 49ers are better than their record.
But these are two teams going in different directions, and the 49ers must travel across the country to play in a difficult environment. This game has “Bills win” written all over it.
PFN Prediction: Bills 34, 49ers 20