Christian McCaffrey is unique.
With 2,100 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns in a season that solidified his place among the league’s all-time great running backs, the 49ers tailback is clearly a cut above his opponents.
McCaffrey is a gifted athlete whose exceptional field vision can turn sprints into marathons. McCaffrey is lethal when he gets the ball in the flat or in open field; his 5.4 yards per carry average ranked first among running backs and second in the league, only surpassed by Lamar Jackson’s 5.5.
Once he has the ball in his hands, McCaffrey is unstoppable, but San Francisco has other weapons as well.
Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Fred Warner, and Aiyuk are just a few of San Francisco’s elite players who can take over a game at any time. Not to mention quarterback Brock Purdy, who, up until the last few games of the regular season, appeared to be a serious contender for MVP.
The 49ers are a buzzsaw; aside from an occasional shocking outcome, they have destroyed everyone.
Who will thus have the misfortune of playing one of the best teams in football when they advance to the next round of the playoffs? What you should know is as follows.
Who do the 49ers play next?
This year, San Francisco secured the first seed in the NFC after compiling a conference-best 12-5 record.
As such, the 49ers have four possible opponents they can face when the dust settles on the NFC’s wild-card round: the Buccaneers, Eagles, Rams, and Packers.
A few combinations are conditional; they depend on how each of the other wild-card combinations turns out. Here is the lowdown on the requirements that must be met for each of these matchups to occur.
Buccaneers
If the Bucs defeated the fifth-seeded Eagles and the sixth-seeded Rams and seventh-seeded Packers lost to the third-seeded Lions and second-seeded Cowboys, respectively, then San Francisco would host fourth-seeded Tampa Bay in the divisional round.
With a dismal 9-0 victory over the league’s bottom team, the Panthers, in Week 18, Tampa limped into the postseason. The Bucs’ season, which ended at 9-8, was far from legendary despite quarterback Baker Mayfield’s impressive performance (4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns). Throughout the season, the team struggled both defensively and in the run game.
In Week 11, the 49ers and Buccaneers played at Levi’s Stadium. Tampa’s performance was dismal; they scored just 14 points and gave up a 333-yard, three-touchdown showpiece by Brock Purdy on 21 of 25 attempts, losing 27-14.
Though maybe in the weeks since then, things have changed, the Bucs still haven’t proven they can defeat strong teams on a regular basis. In 2023, they had a meager 1-5 record against playoff teams. In terms of conferences, San Francisco is the best by far. As such, if this game were to happen, the Niners would almost definitely be greatly favored.
Eagles
If Philadelphia defeated the fourth-seeded Buccaneers on the road and the third-seeded Lions and second-seeded Cowboys defeated the sixth-seeded Rams and seventh-seeded Packers, respectively, then the 49ers would play the fifth-seeded Eagles.
As a result, the NFC Championship match from the previous year would be rescheduled. At the time, Philadelphia showed themselves to be more formidable, winning the conference title by capitalizing on some unlucky injuries sustained by San Francisco. However, it might turn out to be a completely different story this time.
In Week 13, the 49ers dominated San Francisco 42-19 in a complete blowout, taking the Eagles to task in their first meeting of the season. After losing to the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Giants, three teams that aren’t in the playoffs, Philly hasn’t appeared any better in the weeks that have passed.
Having faced off twice a season since what seems like the beginning of time, the Rams and Niners are no strangers to each other. Even though Los Angeles’s 10-7 record isn’t nearly as impressive as that of its fellow divisional heavyweight, there are good reasons to think that the Rams will be among the hardest teams for San Francisco to face in the second round.
Los Angeles has won the Lombardi Trophy just two years ago, so they have a ton of experience. An intimidating trio of evil—Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, and Cooper Kupp—has already been honed by the bitter cold of a protracted postseason campaign. To make matters worse for the other team, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams contribute a few more points of genius. Although the Niners were able to handle L.A. in both of its tilts this season, one was a matchup between backups in Week 18 while the other was a hard-fought, seven-point defeat in Week 2 when the Rams were still without Cooper Kupp. Be wary of the horns.
Packers
Last but not least, should Green Bay defeat Dallas, who is ranked second, San Francisco would face the seventh-seeded Packers in the divisional round.
Jordan Love, who gained 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in his debut season as a starter, has been a breath of fresh air in Green Bay’s pocket. In the last three games, Aaron Jones has also regained his form, amassing 358 yards on more than 5.0 yards per carry.
Nevertheless, the Niners appear to be the superior team overall. Starlight shines brightly in San Francisco, from the offensive line to the secondary. Despite its best efforts, Green Bay simply lacks the elite talent that San Francisco has. That could prove fatal in the trenches, where the Niners have a considerable advantage. Love needs more time to show off his amazing arm. When facing Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Javon Kinlaw, Fred Warner, and the rest of that terrifying Gold Rush front seven, that’s one resource that’s usually lacking.