The San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs, but they will be taking aim at a larger goal over the season’s final two weeks.

The 49ers have an outside chance to win the NFC West. They are in a tight, three-horse battle for the divisional crown along with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, a fight in which the Seahawks presently hold an edge.

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The 49ers will need to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 17 to keep their division title hopes alive and create an exciting battle between themselves and the Seahawks in the season’s final week.

Here’s a breakdown of the 49ers’ playoff picture and how they could potentially emerge as the NFC West winner for the third time in four seasons.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa’s effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: The New England Patriots’ Robert Spillane (14) and Christian Elliss (53) tackle Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Raiders won the game, 20-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) fumbles the ball on a tackle by Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. It was a rough Giants debut for Wilson (17 of 37 passing for 168 yards) as the Commanders won the game, 21-6.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Fireworks go off before the NFL Kickoff Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles opened the season with a 24-20 victory over their longtime NFC East rivals.

49ers playoff chances

The 49ers clinched a playoff berth in Week 16 thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Detroit Lions. San Francisco was still able to win its “Monday Night Football” game against the Indianapolis Colts, allowing Kyle Shanahan’s squad to remain in the NFC West race down the stretch of the season.

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49ers playoff scenarios

The 49ers will either win the NFC West or earn a wild-card berth. Here’s a look at what it will take for San Francisco to win its division in 2025:

49ers win final two games against Bears and Seahawks

If the 49ers can beat the Bears on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 17, it will set up a battle between San Francisco and Seattle in Week 18, with the winner earning the NFC West title and the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed.

A loss (or tie) against the Bears would eliminate the 49ers from the NFC West battle and relegate them to being either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff race.

NFC West standings

The 49ers are currently in second place in the NFC West standings. Below is a look at the pecking order within the division:

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San Francisco 49ers (11-4)

The Seahawks have already won their Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers. That put Mike Macdonald’s squad a game-and-a-half ahead of the 49ers and Rams, who are playing on “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” this week respectively.

The 49ers hold tiebreaker advantages over the Seahawks and Rams. San Francisco beat Seattle head-to-head in Week 1 and will play the Seahawks again in Week 18 with a potential division title on the line.

Meanwhile, San Francisco’s 4-1 divisional record is better than Los Angeles’ mark of 3-2. That will give the 49ers a slight edge over the Rams as they jockey for positioning behind the Seahawks.

49ers remaining schedule

The 49ers have one of the toughest remaining schedules league-wide, as both of their remaining games are against playoff teams. Below is a look at their full schedule:

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Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears (11-4)

Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Seahawks remaining schedule

The Seahawks just have one game left on their schedule after winning their Week 17 game against the Panthers. Below is a look at their remaining matchup:

Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers (11-4)

Rams remaining schedule

The Rams have the easiest remaining schedule of the bunch, as their final two opponents have combined for just nine wins. Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ remaining schedule:

Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons (6-9)

Week 18: vs. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

NFL playoff picture

Here’s how the AFC and NFC stack up for Week 17:

AFC

Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*

New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East leaders)*

Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)

Buffalo Bills (11-4, wild card No. 1)*

Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*

Chicago Bears (11-4, NFC North winners)*

Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, NFC East winners)*

Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)

San Francisco 49ers (11-4, wild card No. 1)*

Los Angeles Rams (11-4, wild card No. 2)*

In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 49ers playoff chances: Scenarios, NFC West odds for San Francisco