49ers now NFC's No. 1 playoff seed after Cowboys rout Eagles

After an eventful Sunday slate of games in Week 14, the NFC playoff picture remains as crowded as ever -- and the 49ers are right in the thick of it.

San Francisco helped its case with a 28-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium, improving to 10-3 on the 2023 NFL season and inching closer to the NFC's top spot. But after the afternoon games, all eyes in the Bay and conference-wide were on the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys for an NFC East clash on "Sunday Night Football" with major playoff implications.

Dallas defeated Philadelphia by a score of 33-13 in front of a roaring AT&T Stadium crowd, and now the Cowboys, Eagles and 49ers all have a 10-3 record. But with the Eagles' loss, the 49ers leapt into the NFC's No. 1 seed since they own the head-to-head tiebreakers with both teams after beating each earlier in the season.

The Eagles, meanwhile, dropped down to second place in the East and the No. 5 seed, while the Cowboys jump from No. 5 to No. 2 in the conference.

With just four regular-season games left, San Francisco is that much closer to a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason. Their win over the Seahawks on Sunday and the Minnesota Vikings' victory over the Las Vegas Raiders means that if the Green Bay Packers lose on Monday night, the 49ers will have clinched their third consecutive playoff berth.

If the regular season ended today, the 49ers would host the winner of a wild-card game between the No. 5-seeded Eagles and the No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here's where the full NFL playoff picture stands entering Week 15:

NFC standings

1. San Francisco 49ers -- 10-3

2. Dallas Cowboys -- 10-3

3. Detroit Lions -- 9-4

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- 6-7

5. Philadelphia Eagles -- 10-3

6. Minnesota Vikings -- 7-6

7. Green Bay Packers -- 6-6

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8. Los Angeles Rams -- 6-7

9. Seattle Seahawks -- 6-7

10. Atlanta Falcons -- 6-7

11. New Orleans Saints -- 6-7

12. Chicago Bears -- 5-8

13. New York Giants -- 4-8

14. Washington Commanders -- 4-9

15. Arizona Cardinals -- 3-10

16. Carolina Panthers -- 1-12

AFC standings

1. Baltimore Ravens -- 10-3

2. Miami Dolphins -- 9-3

3. Kansas City Chiefs -- 8-5

4. Jacksonville Jaguars -- 8-5

5. Cleveland Browns -- 8-5

6. Pittsburgh Steelers -- 7-6

7. Indianapolis Colts -- 7-6

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8. Houston Texans -- 7-6

9. Denver Broncos -- 7-6

10. Cincinnati Bengals -- 7-6

11. Buffalo Bills -- 7-6

12. Los Angeles Chargers -- 5-8

13. Las Vegas Raiders -- 5-8

14. New York Jets -- 5-8

15. Tennessee Titans -- 4-8

16. New England Patriots -- 3-10

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