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San Francisco 49ers

Playoff Game Preview: San Fran at Phila

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San Francisco 49ers (12-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -4.5, Total 44.5
Series Rewind: San Francisco won handily 42-19 in its last trip to Philadelphia in Week 13 in 2023, about 11 months after getting blown out 31-7 there by the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023.

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The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles rested most of their starters in Week 18 and settled for the No. 3 seed, while the 49ers dropped to the sixth seed after losing a battle with Seattle for the coveted No. 1 slot. This is the fifth straight playoff appearance for Philadelphia under fifth-year coach Nick Sirianni, whose teams alternated wild-card losses with Super Bowl runs in their first four postseasons under his watch. It’s the fifth playoff trip in the past seven seasons for the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, which includes a couple of Super Bowl setbacks. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is 5-0 at home in the playoffs and facing a 49ers squad that is 7-2 on the road this season. Hurts can attack San Francisco’s shaky pass defense with 1,000-yard receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert (11 touchdowns). Niners star Christian McCaffrey was second in the NFL with 2,126 scrimmage yards but faces a Philly front anchored by Pro Bowl DT Jalen Carter. Philadelphia’s All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) hopes to play for the first time since Week 11. San Francisco All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee/ankle) are questionable.

Seahawks Take the West

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SANTA CLARA – (Wire Service Report) – Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined to rush for 171 yards, Sam Darnold played turnover-free and Seattle’s defense was dominant as the Seahawks clinched the NFC West title and the conference’s top playoff seed with a 13-3 victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in California.

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Jason Myers kicked two field goals and Charbonnet scored the game’s lone touchdown for the Seahawks (14-3), who won their seventh consecutive game. Walker rushed for 97 yards on 16 carries and Charbonnet added 74 on 17 attempts. Darnold was 20-of-26 passing for 198 yards, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba making six catches for 84 yards.

The 49ers (12-5), who had won six in a row and scored more than 40 points in each of their previous two games, were limited to 173 yards of total offense and nine first downs. Brock Purdy was 19 of 27 for 127 yards with one interception and Christian McCaffrey was limited to 23 yards on eight carries.

Myers kicked a 31-yard field goal with 14:15 remaining to give the Seahawks a 10-point lead. The 11-play, 55-yard drive was kept alive when Walker rushed for 19 yards on third-and-17 and the 49ers’ Renardo Green was called for pass interference against Rashid Shaheed on third-and-nine. The 49ers didn’t get a first down on the ground until Purdy scrambled for one with 13:34 remaining.

San Francisco reached the Seahawks’ 6-yard line on that drive before McCaffrey bobbled a tipped pass and the ball fell into linebacker Drake Thomas’ arms for an interception.

The Seahawks dominated the first half statistically but led just 10-3 at the intermission.

Seattle got a first-and-goal at the 49ers’ 1-yard line on the game’s opening drive before Darnold was sacked for a 12-yard loss by Tatum Bethune. The Seahawks went for it on fourth down from the 4, but Darnold’s pass for Cooper Kupp fell incomplete.

The 49ers were held to a three-and-out on their first possession and Seattle needed just three plays to take the lead on Charbonnet’s 27-yard run around the left end.

Myers converted from 45 yards with 5:19 left in the half to make it 10-0.

The 49ers’ Eddy Piniero booted a 48-yarder with 1:06 remaining in the second quarter for the hosts’ lone points.

The Seahawks had a 12-3 advantage in first downs and 196-69 edge in total yards at the half.

–Field Level Media

No “O” – Rams Defeat SF 49ers, 12-6

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Los Angeles placekicker Joshua Karty booted a go-ahead 27-yard field goal with 9:28 remaining and Darious Williams came down with a crucial interception to lift the LA Rams to a 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers (thus 6ers) on Thursday night in Northern California.

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Heavy rain before halftime prevented both teams from finding an offensive rhythm, but Los Angeles (8-6) did just enough to earn its seventh win in nine games. The loss by the 49ers practically eliminated their chance of qualifying for the NFL postseason.

With the game tied at six-apiece, it looked as if the Rams were headed for the end zone after Puka Nacua got behind San Francisco’s secondary and hauled in a 51-yard pass from Matthew Stafford early in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers’ defense soon got a stop on third-and-2, though, forcing Los Angeles to bring out Karty for his 27-yarder.

San Francisco (6-8) quickly worked down to the Los Angeles 33 on its ensuing drive. Brock Purdy proceeded to throw a deep ball near the near-side pylon that Williams picked off, and Karty later made good on a 29-yard field goal with 18 seconds to go.

Although a horse-collar tackle on the following kickoff set the Niners up at the 50-yard line, they couldn’t generate a miracle in the final seconds.

Stafford completed 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards, with Nacua (seven catches, 97 yards) serving as his favorite target. Kyren Williams was a workhorse on the ground, going for 108 yards on 29 carries.

Star receiver Cooper Kupp didn’t have a single reception for the Rams.

Purdy finished 14 of 31 for 142 yards and the interception. Isaac Guerendo had 16 carries for 57 yards as San Francisco got outgained 302-191 in total yards.

Jake Moody and Karty exchanged second-half field goals within a span of just under 10 minutes to forge the 6-6 tie.

Amid the rain, San Francisco punted on six of its seven first-half drives.

The 49ers’ only successful drive before the break ended with Moody’s 53-yard field goal with 10:01 left in the first quarter. A 33-yard completion to George Kittle over the middle helped set up the kick.

After punting on its five first drives of the game, Los Angeles finally tied the contest with 65 seconds remaining in the first half on a 48-yard field goal from Karty.

The Rams climbed within a half-game of the first-place Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the NFC West. The defending conference champion 49ers are last in the division, a half-game behind the Arizona Cardinals (6-7).

–Field Level Media

SNF: Big Game for SF v. DAL

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Dallas Cowboys come off their bye week desperately in need of a victory while traveling to face a San Francisco 49ers team dealing with a litany of injuries to their skill position personnel.

One of the NFC’s oldest rivalries closes out Sunday’s action in Week 8 of the NFL’s regular season.

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ODDS AND TRENDS
The 49ers (3-4) are consensus 5.0-point favorites at home. That includes at BetRivers, where the 49ers have drawn 64 percent of the spread-line money, while the Cowboys (3-3) have been backed by 53 percent of the total bets.

Dallas’ +180 moneyline has been popular, attracting 61 percent of the money, although the 49ers have garnered 46 percent of the total bets at -225.

The Over/Under total points line has hovered around 47.5 and 48.0 at most books. At BetRivers, the Under has been backed by big wagers with     82 percent of the total money, although 70 percent of the total bets have supported to Over.

SERIES HISTORY
San Francisco has won the past three meetings, including playoff victories to end Dallas’ 2021 and 2022 seasons. Last season’s meeting was one-sided as the 49ers clobbered the Cowboys 42-10 behind four touchdown passes from Brock Purdy, three to George Kittle.

That beatdown might not have been as bad as the one Dallas (3-3) just experienced — a 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions before the team’s much-needed bye.

THE NEWS
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a message for his teammates before they all took time off for last week’s bye.

INJURY REPORT
What the Cowboys could really use is seeing star linebacker Micah Parsons (ankle) and cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) on the field. But they’re both out again Sunday night, and Bland’s replacement in the starting lineup in 2024, Caelen Carson, is questionable with a shoulder injury.

Parsons will miss his third straight game. Bland has yet to play this season.

Cowboys starting linebacker Eric Kendricks (shoulder) is also listed as questionable.

The 49ers are battling a slew of injuries and lost star wideout Brandon Aiyuk to a season-ending right knee injury during last Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wideout Deebo Samuel (pneumonia/wrist) played just a few snaps and was later hospitalized and released on Tuesday. Though he sat out Wednesday’s practice, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel might play, but he’s listed as questionable, the same designated the 49ers gave Kittle (foot).

Receiver Jauan Jennings (hip/groin) missed the Kansas City game, was unable to practice all week and is out along with kicker Jake Moody (ankle).

Of course, McCaffrey (Achilles) remains on injured reserve and hasn’t played a down this season.

THEY SAID IT
–“I think we’ve gotta go into these games and say, ‘We’ve gotta step on somebody’s neck. It’s just the simple things: being disciplined, can’t kill each other on red-zone trips. Can’t kill each other on third downs.” –Parsons

–“The guys in the building are really talented, so we have to figure that out. It’s on our vets to pull them along, whether they’re ready or not. … (The injuries) impact you to an extent but you have to have the three-foot mindset and just attack what’s in front of you.” –Kittle

PREDICTION
The Cowboys’ three wins have all come on the road, although the first two came against Cleveland and the New York Giants. Dallas did also secure a solid win at Pittsburgh before getting blown out at home by Detroit. The 49ers due enter the game with a concerning amount of injuries to key personnel, but this is an equally critical game for San Francisco and Dallas simply hasn’t played well against quality teams. –49ers 26, Cowboys 23

–Field Level Media

 

SF 49ers in Full Stride vs Seahawks

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – SF QB Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes, two to George Kittle, and the San Francisco 49ers — after building a 20-point lead — held on to defeat the host Seattle Seahawks 36-24 on Thursday night.

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Purdy also threw a 76-yard scoring strike to Deebo Samuel Sr. as the 49ers (3-3) moved into a first-place tie with the Seahawks (3-3) in the NFC West.

Geno Smith threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett with 1:44 remaining to pull Seattle within 29-24.

San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk scored on a 6-yard run with 1:17 left to clinch the victory. That came two plays after rookie Isaac Guerendo broke free on a 76-yard run. Guerendo rushed for 99 yards on 10 attempts after Jordan Mason, who entered the game second in the NFL in rushing, left with an apparent left shoulder injury.

Mason gained 73 yards on nine carries. Purdy was 18 of 28 for 255 yards, and Samuel produced 102 yards on three receptions. Kittle had five catches for 58 yards.

The 49ers forced three turnovers and turned them into 12 points.

Smith connected on 30 of 52 passes for 312 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Seahawks tried to establish the running game but gained just 52 yards on 20 carries.

Laviska Shenault Jr. scored on a 97-yard kickoff return for Seattle, which took its third consecutive loss.

Purdy’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Kittle with 10:07 left in the third quarter gave the 49ers a 23-3 lead.

The 49ers, who blew double-digit leads in divisional losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals earlier this season, then saw Shenault return the ensuing kickoff to spark a Seattle comeback.

Kenneth Walker III scored on a 1-yard run with 1:24 left in the third to pull the Seahawks within 23-17.

Niners rookie Renardo Green stepped in front of DK Metcalf and picked off a Smith pass to set up Kittle’s second touchdown, a 9-yard reception with 6:20 remaining in the game, to make it 29-17.

The 49ers took a 16-3 halftime lead. San Francisco had a 244-133 edge in total offense, including 105-24 on the ground, and forced a pair of turnovers — an interception of a Smith pass near the goal line and a Shenault fumble on a kickoff return.

The lone touchdown of the half was the 76-yarder to Samuel down the left sideline with 13:30 remaining in the second quarter.

San Francisco kicker Matthew Wright, signed earlier in the week after Jake Moody sustained a high ankle sprain Sunday, converted all three of his field-goal attempts in the first half, from 25, 41 and 35 yards.

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl: For Bosa, It’s Revenge

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LAS VEGAS -(Staff and Wire Service Report) – Losing in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs four seasons ago has never slipped the mind of San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa. The defensive end said he documented his feelings and will break them out later this week as part of his preparation for Sunday’s rematch.

“No sharing but there are a couple recordings that I have,” Bosa said at Monday’s Super Bowl Opening Night. “I had some thoughts and I didn’t want to forget them so they’re in my phone.”

Bosa and the 49ers had a 10-point lead past the midway point of the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV before Kansas City scored 21 straight points to post a 31-20 victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Bosa scored one sack of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes in that game and is eager for more.

“What stands out is very thin margins,” said Bosa, referring to Mahomes’ quick release and escape ability. “Very grateful for the opportunity against the same team. We have to make it count this time.”

Bosa and the 49ers figure to bring pressure with the Kansas City offense sometimes having issues against physical units.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid hasn’t forgotten the struggles of dealing with Bosa and the rest of San Francisco’s front seven four years ago.

“There were some running lanes early. They closed those up,” Reid said of the previous Super Bowl. “Their front — it starts with them. They’re really good, their front four. And then two of the most athletic linebackers in the league (in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw).”

Yet even with the 49ers’ four sacks in the game, Mahomes still made the San Francisco defense pay.

“There’s a few plays in the Super Bowl we look back at that were very big plays where he made plays with his legs,” Bosa said.

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Bosa had 10.5 sacks this season after needing time to find his stride after a long holdout.

He agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract as the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history shortly before the season started.

“It’s definitely a weight off your back getting your second deal done and just having that out of the equation,” Bosa said. “It was a stressful time. I’m glad it’s over with.”

One season earlier, Bosa had a league-best 18.5 sacks and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He has 53.5 sacks in 68 regular-season games.

Bosa has 10 sacks in 11 postseason contests, including two in the NFC Championship Game when the 49ers rallied from a 17-point deficit to claim a 34-31 victory over Detroit.

Bosa isn’t the only key San Francisco defender looking to close the door on past demons.

Warner repeatedly replays the former Super Bowl loss in his mind. He intercepted Mahomes in that game but the fourth-quarter collapse is what’s at the forefront of his thoughts.

“The biggest thing I take away from that game is the game is never over until that clock hits triple zeros,” Warner said. “That’s the biggest takeaway.

“I remember guys on the sidelines in that fourth quarter real happy and excited about possibly becoming Super Bowl champions and things flipped on a dime real quick. (Kansas City) scoring 21 unanswered in about six minutes.

“That scar remains with me to this day.”

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVIII: KC vs SF in a Rematch

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Services Report) – There’s no need to check your eyes if Super Bowl LVIII has a familiar look. Just four years after the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers met in the big game, the two foes are back for a rematch in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 in Vegas.

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San Francisco took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter of that matchup on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla., before the Chiefs scored 21 points to claim a 31-20 victory.

Kansas City also won last season’s Super Bowl, 38-35 over the Philadelphia Eagles. The franchise is 3-2 in Super Bowls, the first win coming in Super Bowl IV to cap the 1969 season.

The Chiefs qualified for this year’s game with Sunday’s 17-10 road victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Now they will look to become the first franchise to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the New England Patriots (2003 and 2004 seasons).

“Now we’re in the Super Bowl and the job’s not done,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We got to go out there to Vegas and play a great team and see if we can go out there and get the Super Bowl.”

Mahomes, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, will be making his fourth Super Bowl start. The only quarterbacks to start more are legends Tom Brady (10) and John Elway (five).

Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be coaching in his fifth Super Bowl, tied for third most with former Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry. Bill Belichick (nine) and Don Shula (six) are the only two to coach in more.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have been knocking on the championship door during Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tenure.

The loss to the Chiefs was the only time San Francisco made it to the Super Bowl under Shanahan. But the lead got away — just like it did when the Atlanta Falcons blew a 25-point lead when Shanahan was offensive coordinator for an epic meltdown in Super Bowl LI.

The 49ers were the top seed in the NFC this season and reached the Super Bowl with Sunday’s 34-31 comeback win over the Detroit Lions in the conference championship.

The feeling is that it is time for this version of the 49ers to win the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title, and first since the 1994 season.

“There’s been unfinished business for a while,” Shanahan said after the win over the Lions. “Our team has been set up for this for a long time. It’s been a long year to get to this point.”

While the Chiefs possess arguably the best quarterback in the game in Mahomes and his 14-3 career postseason record, the 49ers have seen Brock Purdy go from Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to one of the most relevant signal-callers in the game.

Purdy (24 years, 46 days) will be the third-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl and has given San Francisco stability at the position.

Jimmy Garoppolo was the starter when the 49ers lost to the Chiefs four years ago, and the organization thought it would be better served using the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 on Trey Lance. That decision turned out to be a colossal blunder, but Purdy saved the day with his emergence and is already a bona fide star.

Both teams have star tight ends (Travis Kelce for the Chiefs, George Kittle for the 49ers) and an upper-echelon pass rusher (Chris Jones for the Chiefs, Nick Bosa for the 49ers).

San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey is one of the NFL’s top all-around running backs, while few backs run harder than Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco.

Both teams have celebrity fans who can’t wait to hit the Las Vegas Strip while using their best moves and distractions to avoid the crush of paparazzi. But only one of these teams (the Chiefs) has Taylor Swift cheering for them.

But it won’t turn into “Swift Week” leading up to the big game, as Kelce’s girlfriend won’t be anywhere near Vegas until the eve of the contest. She will be serenading Kelce with “You Belong With Me” from Tokyo with four straight concerts scheduled from Feb 7-10.

So, let the Super Bowl hype begin.

–Field Level Media

Niners Turn Back the Pack

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – SF 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey rushed for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:07 left, and San Francisco held on to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in an NFC divisional round playoff matchup on Saturday night in California.

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SF QB Brock Purdy completed 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers, who advanced to the NFC Championship for the third consecutive season. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw picked off two passes, including one in the final minute to seal the win.

San Francisco will host the winner of Sunday’s showdown between the host Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the opportunity to advance to the Super Bowl.

Jordan Love completed 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Green Bay. Aaron Jones had 18 carries for 108 yards.
The high-stakes contest featured three lead changes in the third quarter.

The Packers grabbed a 13-7 lead on a 19-yard pass from Love to Bo Melton with 9:27 to go in the quarter.

Less than two minutes later, the 49ers answered to grab a 14-13 lead. McCaffrey took a handoff, evaded a would-be tackler and sprinted up the middle of the field for a 39-yard touchdown.

The back-and-forth battle continued as the Packers scored on the next possession. Eric Wilson recovered a fumble on a 73-yard kickoff return by Keisan Nixon, setting the Packers up at the Niners’ 20.

Four plays later, Love found Tucker Kraft open near the front right pylon for a 2-yard touchdown. Love then connected with Jones for a two-point conversion for a 21-14 Packers lead with 5:23 left in the third.

The 49ers pulled within 21-17 on a 52-yard field goal by Jake Moody with 14:56 remaining in the game.

The Packers tried to grab a seven-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal attempt with 6:18 to go.

Green Bay had the only score of the first quarter with a 29-yard field goal by Carlson.

The 49ers grabbed a 7-3 lead with 8:42 remaining in the second when Purdy connected with George Kittle for a 32-yard touchdown.
Carlson hit again from 29 yards to pull Green Bay within 7-6 before halftime.

San Francisco star wideout Deebo Samuel exited in the first half because of a shoulder injury and was later ruled out. Samuel, who finished with two catches for 24 yards, was evaluated after a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Ravens Make Statement to Niners, NFL

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for 252 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns while the Baltimore Ravens intercepted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy four times in a 33-19 win Monday night in California.

Baltimore (12-3) entered as a 6 1/2-point underdog in a matchup of the top teams in their conferences, and the visitors overcame a slow start. Jackson decisively outplayed Purdy in a matchup of the quarterbacks considered by many to be the top candidates for Most Valuable Player.

Jackson, who completed 23 of 35 passes, turned a four-point game at the half into a rout with scoring strikes of 6 and 9 yards to Nelson Agholor and Zay Flowers, respectively, in an 18-second span early in the third.

The result means Baltimore can clinch the AFC North and the top seed in the conference Sunday with a home win over the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins.

Purdy hit on 18 of 32 attempts for 255 yards before leaving during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive with a stinger in his neck. Sam Darnold replaced him and finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown strike to Ronnie Bell but later tossed the team’s fifth interception of the night. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Raiders 20, Chiefs 14

Bilal Nichols and Jack Jones scored defensive touchdowns seven seconds apart in the second quarter to lead Las Vegas to an upset of host Kansas City, preventing the Chiefs from clinching the AFC West for the eighth straight season.

Zamir White rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 22 carries as Las Vegas (7-8) remained alive in the AFC West race. Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Kansas City (9-6).

The Raiders’ first touchdown came when Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco took a direct snap but botched a handoff to Mahomes. Nichols picked up the ball and went 8 yards for the score with 4:55 left in the half. On the next offensive play, Jones jumped an out route, easily picked off Mahomes and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles 33, Giants 25

Jake Elliott kicked four field goals and host Philadelphia scored 13 points in the fourth quarter en route to a victory over New York.

The Eagles (11-4) moved a game in front of the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) atop the NFC East. Jalen Hurts threw for a TD and rushed for another for Philadelphia. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 301 yards and was picked off once.

Tyrod Taylor connected with Darius Slayton for a 69-yard scoring strike to pull the Giants (5-10) within 30-25. Taylor took over under center for Tommy DeVito, who was benched to start the second half. Taylor finished with 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 7-for-16 passing. DeVito was 9 of 16 for 55 yards.

–Field Level Media

Niners In the NFL Playoffs

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -Welcome to the 2023 playoffs, San Francisco 49ers. And don’t look now, but howdy to New York Giants and Chicago Bears, both just one game out in an overflowing NFC wild-card chase.

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San Francisco (10-3) stands as the No. 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 15. The 49ers received the initial entry into the NFL postseason by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.

The 49ers have the same record as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco beat both teams in head-to-head matchups and can secure the NFC West division title this weekend.

Green Bay is one of five 6-7 teams in the NFC and holds the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference through 13 games.

Right behind the Packers are the Giants and Bears — 5-8 entering Week 15 — and still very much alive while also currently looking at top 10 draft picks based on their 2023 record. Chicago and Green Bay play in the regular-season finale Week 18 at Soldier Field.

The Baltimore Ravens (10-3) are alone in first place in the AFC following the loss by the Miami Dolphins (9-4) on Monday night to the Tennessee Titans.

Kansas City (8-5) and Jacksonville (8-5) lead their respective divisions by narrow margins to currently sit No. 3 (Chiefs) and No. 4 (Jaguars) in the conference.

At No. 5 are the Cleveland Browns (8-5), a game up on the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) and Indianapolis Colts (7-6).

The Colts play the Steelers on Saturday and Cleveland hosts the Bears.

Three teams with 6-7 records are angling for position in the NFC South. Tampa Bay, outscored 270-262 this season, is 5-4 in the NFC and own head-to-head victories of the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) and Bears with a trip to Lambeau Field to play the Packers this week.

–Field Level Media