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What are the 49ers' playoff chances after pulling off a win in Week 10?

No one is running away with the NFC West, which is good news for the Niners after Week 10.

By Peter Panacy

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85)
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) / Mike Ehrmann/GettyImages
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The 49ers are back above .500 for the first time since Week 1, and they still have solid odds of making the playoffs despite an inconsistent start.

The San Francisco 49ers need to start putting some space between them and other teams within the NFC West, and they managed to do a little bit of that in Week 10 by handling their own business and beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-20.

The Niners got a little help from an old friend, too, as head coach Mike McDaniel's Miami Dolphins upended the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, which ensured LA would stay in the bottom half of the division.

Additionally, the idle Seattle Seahawks were on their bye and now find themselves in last place, thanks to Los Angeles owning the current tiebreaker between the two 4-5 squads.

Only the 6-4 Arizona Cardinals stand ahead of San Francisco in the NFC West standings after 10 weeks:

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

Ideally, the 49ers would have received some help from the New York Jets over the weekend, but Gang Green ended up getting pummeled by the red birds, 31-6, which is a further indication quarterback Kyler Murray and Co. are for real this season.

Despite Arizona's current divisional lead, the Niners still have a solid chance of making the postseason after 10 weeks.

49ers still have better-than 50-50 chances of making NFL playoffs

If the playoffs began today, San Francisco would be watching from the couch.

Currently the No. 8 seed, the 49ers find themselves rooting against the current Wild Card spot holders -- Minnesota Vikings (No. 5), Washington Commanders (No. 6) and Green Bay Packers (No. 7) -- while also hoping the Cardinals ultimately cool off.

With three more in-division games remaining on the schedule, the Niners still have an excellent chance of winning the NFC West, but getting into the playoffs one way or another remains the biggest priority.

According to ESPN, San Francisco's chances of winning the division outright are 38 percent, trailing Arizona's 52-percent chance.

As far as just making the postseason, the 49ers' odds are 51 percent.

Considering how inconsistent head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad was over the first half of 2024, it's likely the team happily takes those chances.

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