49ers' playoff chances surprisingly don't take massive hit after Chiefs loss

One might think the 49ers have little hope of making the NFL playoffs after losing bad to the Chiefs. But that's actually not the case.

The San Francisco 49ers may no longer be a top-flight Super Bowl contender nearing the halfway point of 2024, especially after they were fully exposed by an undefeated Kansas City Chiefs team in Week 7.

The Niners' 28-18 defeat drops them to 3-4 on the season, and some would argue the first six weeks were supposed to be the easier part of an otherwise grueling schedule that transitioned in Week 7 against KC.

Now, San Francisco is a sub-.500 team that sits in second place within the NFC West after the Seattle Seahawks reclaimed the division lead with their own win over the Atlanta Falcons.

All doom and gloom, right?

Well, not exactly. In fact, there's still plenty of hope for the 49ers moving forward.

49ers are far from dead in NFL playoff picture

Fans may recall how both the 2021 and 2022 Niners had sub-.500 records nearing the halfway point of the regular season, yet both teams ended up making the NFC Championship game those respective years.

Granted, it'll take some desperation from head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad, an aspect that wasn't on display at all against KC but needs to be in the forthcoming weeks.

For now, San Francisco is on the outside, looking in on the NFC playoff picture:

1. Detroit Lions (5-1)+
2. Washington Commanders (5-2)+
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)+
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)+
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-1)*
6. Green Bay Packers (5-2)*
7. Chicago Bears (4-2)*
8. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
9. Atlanta Falcons (4-3)
10. Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
11. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)
12. Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
13. Los Angeles Rams (2-4)
14. New Orleans Saints (2-5)
15. New York Giants (2-5)
16. Carolina Panthers (1-6)

+ denotes division leader; * denotes Wild Card team

Standings as of Oct. 20, 2024

Only one game separates the 49ers from the division-leading Hawks, and the Niners currently own the tiebreaker by having beaten Seattle in Week 6. The two teams play each other again in Week 11, and that'll have consequences.

But, for now, San Francisco's hopes for another division crown are far from dead.

Additionally, the analysts over at ESPN still feel the 49ers have a solid shot at making the postseason, especially if they are able to clinch the NFC West.

With Week 7 in the books, ESPN gives the Niners a 48-percent chance of making the playoffs and a 43-percent chance of winning the division.

Things are a bit bleaker beyond that, though, as San Francisco's odds to repeat as NFC champions are just seven percent, while its chance of securing the No. 1 seed in the conference has dropped all the way down to one percent, down from 16 percent after the first four weeks.

But, hey. As long as the 49ers simply get into the dance, anything can happen, right?

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