The 2024 season has not been kind to the San Francisco 49ers. They came into the season as a Super Bowl favorite, but injuries, close calls and some underperforming have the team on the brink of elimination from the playoff race in Week 14.

The 49ers are just one game below .500 and still ranked last in their division. That’s life in the NFC West.

What’s really hurting the Niners is that the wildcard race is unusually competitive as well. The Commanders currently have the final wildcard spot and they are 8-5 on the season.

It doesn’t help that San Francisco has been blown out in back-to-back games. Road games against the Packers and Bills resulted in a combined score of 73-20. Home games against the Bears and Rams the next two weeks could help them get back into the race, but they are still going to need some help.

Right now, the Falcons and Buccaneers are both 6-6. A loss for either (or both) and a Niners win would have all three tied at 6-7 in pursuit of the Commanders.

The more likely path to the playoffs for the Niners is through the NFC West. The division is typically brutal, but it’s even more tight than usual in 2024.

The Seahawks are in the lead at 7-5 heading into a crucial matchup with the Cardinals who are just one game back at 6-6. The 49ers have their work cut out for them at 5-7, but a Niners win paired with a Seahawks loss would put them no more than one game behind everyone else in the division.

Unfortunately, a win for the Cardinals would ensure that they stay ahead of the 49ers for now, but Kyle Shanahan’s team at least gets one more opportunity to play the Cardinals. They will travel to the desert to close out the regular season in Week 18.

The Niners split the season series with the Seahawks and will look to do the same with the Cardinals after losing to them back in Week 5.

As for this week’s game, the Cardinals will have to make some adjustments. They lost to the Seahawks 16-6 at home just two weeks ago.

The Cardinals had a hard time keeping Kyler Murray upright in that one. They gave up five sacks including 2.5 from Leonard WIlliams.

A better pass protection plan might help the Cardinals keep the Seahawks from building a real lead in the NFC West.

We’ve already gotten into the weeds on the NFC West race so it’s easy to understand that any division rival losing to someone outside of the division is good for San Francisco.

The Rams have had their fair share of struggles this season, but they’ve managed to stick around. After starting 1-4, the Rams are now 6-6 and quietly building momentum to be a factor down the stretch.

Much like the Cardinals, the Niners will get another crack at taking a game from them in the race. They will meet next week on Thursday Night Football after the Rams took the first meeting all the way back in Week 3.

A loss to the BIlls this week combined with a loss to San Francisco next week could see the 49ers get out of the NFC West basement with some momentum.

Fortunately, the Bills have been a pretty reliable team to root for this season. Josh Allen is an MVP candidate and they’ve won seven in a row.

Niners fans just witnessed how dangerous Allen and Co. can be in a 35-10 loss last week. While they can’t get that one back, watching them do the same thing to a division rival could bring some comfort.