49ers get major boost in NFC playoff race thanks to Lions

The San Francisco 49ers gained the NFC's provisional No. 1 playoff seed during their Week 8 bye after the Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 19-15. The loss was Minnesota's first of the season, leaving both the 49ers and the Vikings tied with matching 6-1 records. San Francisco currently holds the playoff tiebreaker over Minnesota, which would grant them home-field advantage and a first-round bye.

The two teams are scheduled to face each other in a pivotal Week 11 matchup in Mexico City. Following their bye, the 49ers enter Week 9 as 9.5-point favorites at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. Meanwhile, division rivals Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams currently sit outside playoff seeding positions.