49ers retain NFC West lead despite Seahawks, Cardinals both winning in Week 10
By Peter Panacy
If the 49ers lost their Week 10 game at the Jaguars, the NFC West would look a lot different. But the Niners won and remained in first place.
The San Francisco 49ers have been out of the NFC West driver's seat for merely one week this season in the wake of their Week 8 home loss versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
That defeat dropped the Niners from the No. 1 spot in the division, while the stubborn and won't-go-away Seattle Seahawks managed to sneak into first place. But that hold didn't last long, as a Hawks loss during San Francisco's bye in Week 9 reverted the standings, and the 49ers found themselves back in first place despite being idle.
The Niners and Seahawks had identical records, yes, but San Francisco held a 2-0 record within the division, whereas Seattle was 1-1.
But, with the 49ers coming off a three-game losing streak, going on the road and beating the Jacksonville Jaguars was essential to hold onto the top spot within the NFC West.
Thankfully, that's precisely what head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad did, demolishing the Jags 34-3.
49ers still hold top spot in NFC West after Week 10
It's the second half of the season, so some scoreboard watching will be in order between now and the conclusion of Week 18.
While the Niners won, so did the Hawks and Arizona Cardinals, beating the Washington Commanders (29-26) and Atlanta Falcons (25-23), respectively, in home wins for the two NFC West squads.
Meanwhile, the 3-6 Los Angeles Rams were idle but saw their hold on the No. 3 spot in the division shrink with the red birds' second win of 2023.
San Francisco remains in first place, though:
- San Francisco 49ers: 6-3 (2-0 in NFC West)
- Seattle Seahawks: 6-3 (1-1 in NFC West)
- Los Angeles Rams: 3-6 (2-1 in NFC West)
- Arizona Cardinals: 2-8 (0-3 in NFC West)
As a division leader, the 49ers hold a top-four seed in the NFC playoff picture, too, and are currently third within the conference behind the No. 1 seeded Philadelphia Eagles, who were on a bye this week, and the two-seeded Detroit Lions.
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