The San Francisco 49ers are one of 12 teams that will play on Wild Card Weekend (including a Monday-night playoff matchup). They will host the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on Saturday, making it the third time the two teams have clashed this season, the 50th all-time, the second in the playoffs, and the first playoff game between the two teams in the Bay Area.
San Francisco finished their 2022 campaign with 10 consecutive wins after starting the season 3-4. The defense finished the season ranked No. 1 in yards and points allowed. That helped an adversity-tested team that is pushing forward with its third quarterback this season. Rookie Brock Purdy started the Niners' final five games, winning each. He replaced an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, who replaced an injured Trey Lance.
The 49ers enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Should they beat the Seahawks, they will host the next-strongest winner from the Wild Card round in the Divisional Playoff round. The 49ers could host the NFC Championship Game should an opponent knock off the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles.
Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each. The highest rankings are listed first.
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 1
Previous rank: 1
"The Niners fell short in their goal of snagging the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but everything else has lined up beautifully for Kyle Shanahan's team, which will take a 10-game winning streak into its Super Wild Card Weekend matchup with the Seahawks. Brock Purdy has elevated the quarterback game since replacing Jimmy Garoppolo (one of the wildest developments of the 2022 season), while Sunday's win over the Cardinals saw the return of two more electric playmakers: wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Elijah Mitchell. The Eagles have the bye and home-field advantage, but it's the Niners who profile as the team most likely to come out of the NFC." — Dan Hanzus
Current Ranking: 1
Previous rank: 1 (Week 17)
"Nearly 30 years later, Super Bowl win No. 6 could be coming." — Mike Florio
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 2
"The 49ers (+550) are the real team to beat in their conference and return to the Super Bowl for the first time in three years. They can do everything offensively around rookie Brock Purdy with their blocking and diverse skill players. They can be downright dominant defensive with Nick Bosa and Fred Warner setting the tone in the front seven. The only concerns are Purdy's inexperience and some holes in the secondary." — Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 2
"There was some thought that the 49ers would be better off losing in Week 18, to draw the Giants in the first round. I don't agree. They still got a winnable wild-card matchup against the division rival Seahawks, and the potential home game against the Vikings in the second round is a huge edge. The 49ers have a strong path to the NFC championship game." — Frank Schwab
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 3
"Brock Purdy has proven to be capable of winning a Super Bowl. They are loaded and they have a great coach in Kyle Shanahan, which makes them a real threat to win it all." — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 6 (Week 17)
"The Niners are on their third starting quarterback of the season, but they enter the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak and with the NFL's best point differential. This has been the type of season San Francisco expected, even if the route there was not quite as pictured." — The MMQB Staff
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: 4
"The San Francisco 49ers entered the 2022 season as a franchise in transition. Despite making it within a game of the Super Bowl last year, the 49ers chose to make a switch at quarterback, handing the offensive reins over to second-year pro Trey Lance. Lance made it all of two games into the season before fracturing his ankle. The 49ers then went back to Jimmy Garoppolo, who went 7-3 in 10 starts before he also suffered a serious foot injury. That forced the Niners to turn to Brock Purdy, who was the final pick of the 2022 draft. Since then, 'Mr. Irrelevant' has been anything but. Since taking over for Garoppolo, Purdy has thrown 13 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. He entered Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cardinals with a passer rating north of 100. And most importantly, San Francisco hasn't lost a game." — NFL Staff
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 5
Previous rank: 5 (Week 17)
"If you think the Niners belong ahead of the Eagles as the NFC's best team, that's understandable. They closed the season on a 10-game winning streak, with only two of those games decided by six points or fewer. They have the best point differential in the league (173) and the best defense by DVOA and EPA per drive. But even though Brock Purdy has been awesome, the tie here goes to the team with the better quarterback. Purdy and Hurts are a combined 19-1 this season. They seem destined for an NFC Championship Game matchup." — Bo Wulf
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 5
Previous rank: 5 (Week 17)
"Brock Purdy and the 49ers are on a special, improbable run. Purdy has led the San Francisco offense to an NFL-high 194 points since taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. Purdy joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of their first five starts. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers' elite cast of skill players still deserve the bulk of the credit, but that doesn't mean Purdy isn't excelling in his offensive role. Combine that with a 49ers defense that finished the regular season first in points allowed per game (15.2), and you have a potential juggernaut in the NFC." — Austin Gayle
