The 49ers have put themselves in a tough position to make the playoffs. After losing several games to heated rivals, the Niners are currently 4-4. If the Red and Gold want another chance at the Super Bowl, they need to eliminate some of the NFC’s great competition. Which teams will be the biggest threats to this team’s playoff hopes?

If someone had told me at the beginning of the year that there was a possibility the entire NFC North could make the playoffs, I would have called you a liar. Currently, the Lions, Packers, and Vikings are all in the Top 7 in the NFC and expected to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Bears are right behind and hold on to 8th place just ahead of the Niners. All of these teams combine great offense and great defense, but they are each different. The Lions have one of the most electric offenses in the league and an incredible defense. They’re complete in every way, and when you mix the craziness of Dan Campbell with Jared Goff, magic ensues. The Vikings took Sam Darnold from the 49ers, I saw this as another backup opportunity for Sam. I was so wrong. Darnold has looked like an MVP for most of the season and Kevin O’Connell’s defense has been Top 5 in the league. The Packers have an offensive wizard in Matt LaFleur who has lit up the running game with effective run blocking schemes and defending the dogs. And who can forget the fact that they didn’t even need Jordan Love to win games, newly traded Malik Willis won them games against decent teams. Even the Bears look good, maybe Caleb Williams hasn’t been what he was expected to be, but this defense has allowed them to win games. Every team in the NFC North has a real chance to make the playoffs. And if they all do, it will be much harder for the Niners to do so unless they win the division. The Niners will have the chance to play all three of these teams in the coming weeks, and while they should want a win, they can afford a loss to the Lions or Packers.

The 2024 Cardinals are a brand new team. Some seeds of a renaissance were planted last season with names like Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, but they didn’t look like they could pose a threat this season. They are now No. 1 in the NFC West at 5-4. The addition of a new coach in Gannon and the draft’s top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., opened up their offense. Their defense still isn’t anything to write home about, but it was enough to beat the Niners in Week 5. Are they a Top 10 team? No, but they are the leaders of the NFC West. The Niners’ best chance to make the playoffs is to win the division. The Cardinals losing some games seems possible, but the Niners can’t lose at this point. If they lose the same number of games as the Cardinals, then their final game of the season against each other will mean a lot. Hopefully they can win the playoffs before week 18.

The LA Rams might be the biggest threat to the Niners’ playoff hopes. The 49ers had their first chance to face them in Week 3 and suffered a classic Kyle Shanahan defeat after being beaten in the 4th quarter. This cannot happen again. Currently, the Rams are 4-4 and, in my opinion, the biggest threat to the 49ers’ playoff hopes. The Rams have shown they can win against some of the best teams, and with a healthy Puka Nacua back, it appears they are on a roll. The Rams are on a 3 game winning streak and could easily make it 5 with matchups against the Dolphins and Patriots. If that happens, the Niners will be fighting to make the playoffs in what was supposed to be their last chance to make the Super Bowl. It would be catastrophic. The Niners have to be a new team coming in this week. They can no longer be the team that loses to the Cardinals and Rams. They have to be the team that went to the Super Bowl, the team that beat the Chiefs. The team no one wants to face. They aren’t anymore. This is a team with a lot of question marks. I hope they can change the “?” has “!” and get that playoff spot that is expected of them.