After an embarrassing Week 5 blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers had to redeem themselves and beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. They did just that, and the victory very well might have saved San Francisco's season.
Fourth and Nine's Akash Anavarathan found that per Football Outsiders, the 49ers now have a 32.3 percent chance of making the playoffs this season after improving to 3-3 on the season. Their 24-16 win over the Rams increased their playoff chances by 10.5 percent going into Monday.
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Going into the Monday's Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys game, the 49ers still sit in last place in the highly competitive NFC West. But with an extra playoff team in both conferences this season, the 49ers still could crawl their way into the postseason. It won't be easy, though.
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Sunday's win against the Rams was the start of a brutal schedule for the 49ers. They head into Foxborough next to play the New England Patriots, and then have contests against the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Rams again and then the Buffalo Bills. All of those teams certainly have playoff aspirations.
Kyle Shanahan put on a new hat and was an offensive wizard at Levi's Stadium, outdueling Sean McVay. Now he must do the same against Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and others to keep the 49ers' season, and any Super Bowl hopes, alive.
