A month ago, it was unthinkable that the 49ers would be able to escape the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL playoffs.
When those three teams seemed to be the best in the NFC, not so long ago, it would have seemed like the perfect scenario for the 49ers.
But that has occurred, so perhaps the 49ers are not as fortunate as they initially thought.
After the first round of the playoffs, it was evident that the Eagles and Cowboys had no place among the NFC’s top four teams.
For the third straight season, the 49ers will not get the chance to terminate the Cowboys’ season. The Green Bay Packers handled that on Sunday, defeating Jerry Jones’ struggling squad.
The Eagles were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9, on Monday in the postseason.
The 49ers were two games behind the Eagles in the NFC standings and they were 10-1 when they made their trip to Philadelphia on December 3. At the time, many people regarded Philadelphia as the NFL’s top team.
However, the Eagles lost that game, 42-19, and it’s possible that they also lost their will. In December and January, they appeared to be an entirely dysfunctional squad.
With one game left in the regular season to secure the top seed, the 49ers celebrated a Week 17 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals, which was one of Philadelphia’s six losses in their final seven games of the year.
Not very long ago, one could have assumed that the 49ers were getting a free ride to the Super Bowl if the Eagles and Cowboys choose to watch the remainder of the playoffs from home.
Furthermore, although the 49ers are the clear favorites to represent the NFC in Las Vegas, it is important to give serious consideration to the three remaining teams: Green Bay, Detroit, and Tampa Bay.
After winning the playoffs, each of those clubs appeared to be at the top of their game. The Lions will host the Buccaneers in one conference semifinal following an emotional victory against Matthew Stafford and the hot Los Angeles Rams.
The Packers, on the other side of the bracket, looked impressive as they defeated the Cowboys. The explosive quarterback Jordan Love continues to improve with each passing game.
Although the 49ers did not have a great regular season finale, they are hopeful that having a bye week would help them play better on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium against the Packers in the divisional round.
This is precisely what the 49ers would have wanted a while back as they get ready to go to the postseason.
Not in Philadelphia. Not in Dallas. Not to worry. Correct?
It begs the question of whether people who wanted the 49ers to stay away from the Cowboys and Eagles should have been cautious about their wishes.