NFL Playoff Scenarios: What 49ers Vs. Chargers Means For The Playoff Picture

NFL playoff scenario is a hot topic as Week 15 kicks off tonight with the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers battling. With both teams in the thick of their respective conference playoff races, the postseason picture is bound be impacted regardless of the outcome of the game.

Believe it or not, the 5-8 49ers head into tonight’s bout with the Chargers with the chance to slide into second place.

In the less-than-impressive NFC West, it becomes apparent that the league championship may end up going to a team with a sub-.500 winning percentage. If San Francisco wins this week, it would head into next week’s game against St. Louis with a 6-8 record. Depending on the outcome of the Rams’ game with Kansas City Sunday, the 49ers could have a chance at winning the division with a Week 16 win.

There are a lot of “ifs” in the scenario mentioned above. Given the lack of quality in the NFC West, however, nearly anything can happen. The Rams will have a tough time beating the Chiefs this week and it’s doubtful that Seattle, which is tied with St. Louis atop the division, can defeat red-hot Atlanta.

Any way you look at it, a San Francisco victory over the Chargers tonight sure throws a wrinkle into the NFC West.

San Diego, of course, will not go down without a fight. Winners of five of their last six games, the Chargers have a chance at tying the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West with two relatively easy games to finish the regular season schedule.

Conversely, the Chiefs, should win at least two of their last three games, which would set up a tie for the AFC West divisional title.

The potential outcomes laid out above, of course, could impact heavily the playoff picture in both leagues.

The Baltimore Ravens seem like a lock for one AFC Wild Card spot, but with the New York Jets in a sudden tailspin, teams like the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts are crossing their fingers that their respective playoff hopes aren’t as dim as they may seem.

At 7-6, the Dolphins seem all but out of the playoff race. Yet, a win over the Jets last week and a favorable schedule remaining leaves more hope for a miracle. The Dolphins will see New England in the regular season finale but the Patriots could have nothing to play for by then aside from a shot at keeping the rival Jets out of the playoffs altogether.

This week’s Indianapolis vs. Jacksonville game was thought to be the winner-take-all, playoff-clinching game in the AFC South. But with the Jaguars’s 8-5 record and the Colts at 7-6, both teams should remain in the hunt regardless of the outcome Sunday.

If San Diego and San Francisco were to tie, which is highly unlikely, it would hurt the 49ers more than the Chargers. San Francisco needs to win in order to stay alive in the postseason hunt while San Diego could fall back on a wild card spot without a win.