The San Francisco 49ers won't play in Week 8 thanks to a bye week, but there are a handful of Week 8 scores they should have a close eye on.
There's a chance the 49ers come out of Week 8 gaining in the race for the NFC West crown and the NFC's No. 1 seed. Here are the games and results that can help them take steps toward a perfect weekend without having to play a game:
Minnesota Vikings (6-0) at Detroit Lions (4-2)
San Francisco fell out of the ranks of the unbeaten with their Week 7 loss, leaving the Vikings as the only undefeated club left in the NFC. They currently sit as the No. 1 seed in the conference approaching the halfway point of the year. A loss for them would put the 49ers right back atop the conference, so the 49ers would love to see a Detroit victory in this one.
Los Angeles Chargers (0-6) at Los Angeles Rams (3-4)
The Rams are
probably too talented and too well-coached to fall completely out of the race this early in the year. However, a home loss to the NFL's last winless team might put them on a track to never fully bounce back and reach Super Bowl contention. San Francisco can't completely forget about the Rams if they lose, but it makes them less of a threat in the race for the NFC West crown. The 49ers should be rooting for former head coach Jim Harbaugh to get in the win column for the first time this season.
Chicago Bears (5-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-3), Monday Night Football
It doesn't take a ton of explaining here. The 49ers want Seattle to take some losses. However, they can't completely discount the Bears as contenders in the NFC following their acquisition of superstar defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons. That's a bridge San Francisco can cross when they get to it, though. For now the division is the first goal and a Seattle loss brings them one step closer to that.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL Week 8 scores that matter for 49ers during bye week
