How the 49ers’ Week 15 loss to the Rams impacts the NFC playoff picture originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers can essentially kiss their NFL playoff hopes goodbye after their defeat 12-6 at the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday at Levi’s Stadium.
With the rainy loss, San Francisco fell to 6-8 in the 2024 NFL season, while the Rams improved to 8-6. A costly drop by Deebo Samuel and an interception thrown by Brock Purdy ultimately cost the 49ers a game full of missed opportunities.
The game didn’t have much impact on the NFC, as the Rams and 49ers remain the conference’s No. 8 and No. 11 seeds, respectively. But San Francisco’s playoff probability increased from 6 to less than 1 percent with lossaccording to NFL.com. The Rams, meanwhile, jumped 35 to 47 percent.
The 49ers and Rams were the first teams to play in Week 15 as lucky participants on this week’s “Thursday Night Football,” so the Seattle Seahawks remain atop the NFC West at 8-5 while the Arizona Cardinals are still third at 6-7. Los Angeles is still in second place, while San Francisco is in last place with a 1-4 record in the division this season.
The Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles have already clinched a playoff spot, while the New York Giants were officially eliminated from the playoffs last week.
Here is where the NFC Playoff Photo stands after the TNF game without a touchdown.
NFC Playoff Rankings
1. Detroit Lions (12-1) – Playoff berth clinched
2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) – Playoff berth clinched
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3. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
5. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)
6. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
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8. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
9. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
10. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
12. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
13. Dallas Cowboys (5-8)
14. Chicago Bears (4-9)
15. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
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16. New York Giants (2-11) – Eliminated from playoffs
