The defending NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers, were eliminated from the playoffs before their game in Miami even started on Sunday due to the victories of the Washington Commanders and the Los Angeles Rams.
PUBLICIDAD
In February's Super Bowl of this year, the "Niners" fell 25-22 in overtime once again against the Kansas City Chiefs, in the game played in Las Vegas.
PUBLICIDAD
Why were the 49ers eliminated?
The 49ers started the season as favorites to win the NFC again thanks to a team full of talent on both sides of the ball, but injuries hampered their chances during the season, especially those that affected receiver Brandon Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey.
Before Sunday's games started, the 49ers had a record of 6-8 and only had a 1% chance of making the playoffs according to Next Gen Stats.
The Commanders' victory over the Philadelphia Eagles eliminated San Francisco from the wildcard race, and the Rams' win in New York over the Jets ended the "Niners'" hopes of obtaining the NFC West Division title.
In Miami and already eliminated, the 49ers fell 29-17 to the Dolphins.
Which other teams were eliminated in the NFC?
In addition to the 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints were eliminated from playoff contention due to early Sunday results. The Cowboys were knocked out by the Commanders' victory, and the Saints were eliminated by the Falcons, who defeated the New York Giants.
The Arizona Cardinals were left with no options to qualify through either route after losing to the Carolina Panthers in overtime.
With two weeks of competition in the regular season, the landscape of the National Conference already seems almost closed. The figth for the South Division still open with Falcons and Bucs with the same record (8-7) but the advantage is for Atlanta.
In the American Conference, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Cincinnati Bengals still have slim chances of qualifying.