of san francisco 49ers and miami dolphins The matchup in Week 16 will pit two teams who are in a close battle for a playoff spot. Both teams are on the brink of elimination, and even if the 49ers win, both teams could officially be eliminated from the playoff race by the end of the game. The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET, with the Dolphins currently the 1.5-point favorite to win. FanDuel Sportsbook.
49ers playoff photos
The 49ers are in last place in the NFC West with a record of 6 wins and 8 losses. They are two games behind the Rams and Seahawks, and one game behind the Cardinals. They sit 11th overall in the NFC, three games behind the Commanders for the final wild-card spot.
San Francisco needs a lot of help to make the playoffs, and they could be eliminated before this game even begins. If the 49ers lose, they will be eliminated from the playoff race. However, if the Cardinals (vs. Panthers) and Commanders (vs. Eagles) both win in the game at 1 pm ET, the 49ers will officially be eliminated. Furthermore, if the Rams beat the Jets in the 1 p.m. slot and the Seahawks beat the Vikings in the 4 p.m. slot, the 49ers would be eliminated.
The 49ers have a path to the playoffs, but that requires broader results outside of their own games. In addition to winning their remaining three games (@Dolphins, vs. Lions, @Cardinals), the 49ers need:
- WAS Loss (vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, @Cowboys)
- ATL lost in Weeks 16 and 18 (vs. Giants, vs. Panthers)
- LAR or SEA loses (Rams: @ Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks; Seahawks: vs. Vikings, @ Bears, @ Rams)
- ARI lost in Week 16 or Week 17 (@Panthers, @Rams)
Dolphins playoff photos
The Dolphins enter Week 16 in second place in the AFC East with six wins and eight losses. With the Bills already clinched the division title, the Dolphins' only chance to make the playoffs is through a wild card berth.
Miami sits in ninth place in the AFC overall standings, 2.5 games behind the Broncos and Chargers. LA wins against Denver thursday night football They tried to start Week 16, but it didn't help Miami. If the Dolphins win their final three games (vs. 49ers, @Browns, @Jets), they could earn a wild card berth with the following results:
- IND lost the game (vs. Titans, @Giants, vs. Jaguars)
- LAC 2 losses (@Patriots, @Raiders)
If the Chargers had lost to the Broncos on Thursday, the Dolphins would have lost just one more game. Considering how bad the rest of the Chargers' opponents are, the Dolphins' chances are pretty slim.
Impact on tiebreaker
The only potential impact is if you reach the strength of your common opponent or winning tiebreaker.
