The Buffalo Bills dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football was an important development for the San Francisco 49ers.
With the Vikings loss the 49ers are now in sole possession of first place on the NFC entering the second half of the schedule. After nine weeks the Vikings are now 6-2 after losing two straight. The 49ers are sitting at 7-1 after bouncing back from their first loss with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here's what the NFC standings look like at the halfway point of the season:
- San Francisco 49ers (7-1)
- Chicago Bears (7-2)
- New York Giants (5-2-1)
- Carolina Panthers (3-5)
- Detroit Lions (6-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-2)
- Green Bay Packers (6-3)
It's far from over for San Francisco. They'll have tough battles down the stretch with the entire NFC North, while also trying to stave off any second-half pushes from the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West. It's worth
noting the New York Giants are also a two-loss team.
The 49ers can really put some distance between themselves and the Vikings in the next two weeks. If they take care of business against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10, and then knock off the Vikings in Week 11, they'll have at least a two-game lead on Minnesota with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand. Then all eyes would be set on the Lions and Bears as the race for the No. 1 seed heats up.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFC playoff picture: Bills win vs. Vikings a huge help for 49ers
