What happens if 49ers beat Cowboys in Wild Card round?

If the 49ers were to come away victorious against the Cowboys on Sunday, there are a few possible opponents they could meet in the divisional round.

The San Francisco 49ers have one focus this week, and that is the Dallas Cowboys who they will be facing this Wild Card weekend.

But if they were to win this game, there are only a few teams left to match up against in the NFC playoff picture.

Heading into the postseason as the sixth seed almost guarantees, that after the Wild Card round, the top seed in the conference will be up next.

Though there are a few scenarios where the 49ers could match up with one of two divisional foes in the next round.

49ers likely to face Packers if they beat Cowboys

The Niners’ most likely opponent in the divisional round after a would-be win against the Cowboys would be the No. 1 seed, the Green Bay Packers.

With a bye in the first round, the Packers await the lowest seed that advances to the divisional round. Since the 49ers hold the sixth seed, the only possible way they could avoid the Packers in the next round would be if the seventh-seeded Philadelphia Eagles came away victorious against the No. 2 seed, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Sunday afternoon.

Probably not likely.

Though the Packers hold the top seed in the conference, should San Francisco even be worried? Previous playoff matchups would say no, but as many of us have learned this season, any team can win any given Sunday. The 49ers last met with Green Bay in the playoffs in January of 2020 on their way to the Super Bowl when they dismantled the Packers, defeating them 37-20 in the NFC Championship game.

Read More: 5 reasons 49ers should be fearful of Cowboys in Wild Card round

In 2021, the Packers posted a similar record and grabbed a hold of the No. 1 seed in the conference. If the Niners defeat the Cowboys, they will find themselves in familiar territory where they have been victorious in the past.

Green Bay certainly presents a challenge for San Francisco, though if the two teams end up facing one another in the next round. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is red hot and may have secured his second consecutive MVP award, and losing to his hometown team again in the playoffs certainly isn’t on his agenda.

Familiar faces for 49ers?

More strange things have occurred in the playoffs than the seventh-seeded Eagles traveling to Tampa Bay and potentially defeating the defending Super Bowl Champions.

But don’t hold your breath, as the Eagles enter the game as 8.5-point underdogs against an injury-riddled Buccaneers team, according to the oddsmakers at WynnBET. But the Bucs still have their most important piece, quarterback Tom Brady.

If the Eagles sneak away with a win, the 49ers would face the winner of the Arizona Cardinals versus the Los Angeles Rams matchup on Monday night.

This season, the Niners are 2-0 against the higher-seeded Rams and 0-2 against the Cardinals.

A matchup with one of these divisional foes would result in a much friendlier playoff environment than if the Niners had to travel to Green Bay.