Playoff picture: 49ers remain in contention after beating Panthers

The San Francisco 49ers stayed firmly in the NFC playoff hunt with a 20-9 win over the visiting Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw three first-half interceptions, which sparked much discussion among the media, but the 49ers' defense and timely plays helped secure the victory.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks also won their Week 12 matchups, keeping the 8-4 49ers in third place in the NFC West. San Francisco split its series with the Rams but still has one more potentially crucial division matchup—Week 18 against Seattle.

Looking ahead, if the season ended today, the 49ers would occupy the seventh spot in the NFC playoff standings, setting up a road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. A win there would lead to a rematch with the Rams in the divisional round at SoFi Stadium.

At 7-4, the Detroit Lions remain on the outside looking in, hoping for a 49ers misstep to re-enter the playoff picture. Meanwhile, the Panthers, who fell to 6-6, missed a chance to overtake the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead.

NFC West standings (after Week 12):

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2)
2. Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
3. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-8)

Next up, San Francisco faces the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, aiming to capture their eighth win and continue strengthening their playoff position.

NFC playoff picture (after Week 12)

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2)*
2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)*
3. Chicago Bears (8-3)*
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5)*
5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
6. Green Bay Packers (7-3-1)
7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

* Denotes division leader