The 49ers got help Monday night from the Miami Dolphins who knocked off the New Orleans Saints and put the 49ers’ playoff hopes back into their own hands.
With the Saints dropping to 7-8 for the season, San Francisco stayed in the No. 6 seed with two games left, and put the 49ers in a spot where they control their own destiny and can clinch as early as Week 17.
Here are the updated playoff standings:
1. Packers (12-3)
2. Cowboys (11-4)
3. Rams (11-4)
4. Buccaneers (11-4)
5. Cardinals (10-5)
6. 49ers (8-7)
7. Eagles (8-7)
8. Vikings (7-8)
9. Falcons (7-8)
10. Saints (7-8)
If the 49ers beat the Texans on Sunday, and the Saints fall to the Carolina Panthers, it will clinch a playoff berth for San Francisco thanks to their head-to-head tiebreakers over the Eagles, Vikings and Falcons.
Additionally, the Saints loss to Miami puts a win-and-in scenario back on the table for the 49ers. If San Francisco wins their final two games to finish 10-7, they’ll clinch outright with no need for a tiebreaker.
The biggest key for the 49ers is to beat the Texans in Week 17. That opens the door to a bevy of possibilities where they clinch, where a loss puts them in a spot to potentially need a win and help in the final week.
