The 49ers found a way to win even when they were idle.
San Francisco found themselves at the top of the NFC after play ended Sunday. Monday’s game is between the Bengals and Steelers, two AFC teams, which means the 49ers are guaranteed to enter Week 5 as the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Packers, Lions (2-0-1), Rams and Cowboys were the NFC’s other three undefeated teams going into Week 4 action. Green Bay fell to the Eagles on Thursday night. Detroit then lost to Kansas City at home. The Rams got blown out by the Buccaneers at home, and the Cowboys fell short against the Saints in New Orleans.
That leaves San Francisco as the lone undefeated team in the NFC. The AFC has two unbeaten teams left in the Chiefs and the Patriots. New England snuck past the Bills 16-10 in Buffalo.
If the 2019 season ended after Week 4, the 49ers would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, the season does not end after Week 4, and the fact remains the teams they’ve beaten on their way to a 3-0 record have a combined 2-8 record, although their win over the Buccaneers looks much better now that Tampa Bay had their way with the previously undefeated Rams in Los Angeles.
The 49ers’ schedule looks daunting going through the next two weeks, though. In order to stay on top of the NFC, they’ll first have to knock off the Browns in Santa Clara on Monday Night Football in Week 5. Cleveland looked sensational in their 40-25 romp over the Ravens in Baltimore. After that they face the Rams in their most important divisional game in five years.
Ultimately being in first place in late September means nothing. However, the fact the 49ers put themselves in this position at the bye week is a marked improvement over the first two years of Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. They’re in a position now where they entirely control their playoff destiny, and that’s a good spot to be regardless of what week it is.
