NFL standings: 49ers stay put in 2nd place, Rams fall in NFC West race

The 49ers pulled off a needed win in Week 10, but they’re still second within the NFC West. The Rams, however, continue to fall down in the NFL standings.

The San Francisco 49ers could take confidence in knowing they wouldn’t budge in the NFL standings within the NFC West no matter what they did on Sunday Night Football in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

If the Niners won, they’d stay in second place. If they lost, they’d still be in second place.

However, with the jockeying taking place around the division, including a crucial inter-NFC West bout between two of San Francisco’s rivals, the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams, it was still going to be important for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad to pick up a win after coming off the bye the previous week.

And that’s what the 49ers did, beating the Chargers 22-16 on Sunday night to improve to 5-4.

That was part of the good news Shanahan and Co. got from Sunday’s course of events, but the first happened awfully early in the morning, at least Pacific Time, and it took place clear across the pond in Germany where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked off the division-leading Seattle Seahawks, dropping the Hawks to 6-4 on the year.

Let’s take a look at the NFL standings within the NFC West after Week 10.

NFL standings: 49ers gain ground on Seahawks, Rams in basement after Week 10

Seattle might still be leading the NFC West, but it essentially holds a mere half-game lead over the Niners, thanks to that Week 2 victory that went in San Francisco’s favor.

And the 49ers’ three wins over divisional opponents could play a huge measure in any NFC West tiebreakers in helping determine the playoff picture.

In that Rams-Cardinals battle that was without both starting quarterbacks because of injuries, Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray, respectively, Arizona still managed to pull off the victory, winning 27-17 and sending the reigning Super Bowl champions to the bottom of the NFC West.

Here are the NFL standings for the division after Week 10:

1. Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
2. San Francisco 49ers (5-4)
3. Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
4. Los Angeles Rams (3-6)

The Niners will have a chance to record yet another divisional victory in one week as they travel to Mexico City, Mexico, to square off against the Cardinals at Aztec Stadium for Monday Night Football in Week 11.

San Francisco still has to face Arizona twice, including Monday night’s game, and it’ll also face Seattle again in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football.