Many people wrote off the San Francisco 49ers as title contenders this season after their very underwhelming 3-5 start. The year had the look of another one filled with injuries for San Francisco after it followed a 2019 Super Bowl appearance with a 6-10 record in 2020.
The Niners have since gotten healthier and look more and more like the team that went 13-3 the year before. Hot as anyone in the NFL, they’re 5-1 in their last six games and could be the NFC’s biggest sleeper once the playoffs begin.
After Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers are No. 6 in the NFC’s playoff picture, two games behind the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams for both the NFC West division lead and the first Wild Card spot. They can gain ground Thursday when they travel to Tennessee to play the slumping Titans as 3.5-point favorites. After that, they get the 3-11 Houston Texans at home and then play at the Rams to close the season.
The Niners’ most likely path to the postseason is right where they are, as the conference’s second Wild Card team. That doesn’t diminish their chances of making noise once they get there, though they understandably remain a sleeper thanks to the complete bodies of work of the teams ahead of them. Each has better odds than San Francisco’s +1300 to win the NFC on Tipico Sportsbook.
Below is a look at how the 49ers have turned the corner this season.
