There are not that many worse sports cliches than ‘if the season ended today.’ It’s worse the earlier in the season it gets used.
That said, if the season ended today, the 49ers would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Of course, this means exactly nil after three weeks of the NFL season. Keep in mind Week 3 last year was when the 49ers lost to the Broncos 11-10 in Denver to fall to 1-2 overall.
San Francisco is tied with the Eagles at 3-0, but the 49ers have the benefit of playing (and winning) a division game which helps break the early season tie in their favor.
Here’s what the playoff standings look like in the NFC at this very early juncture:
1. 49ers (3-0)
2. Eagles (3-0)
3. Falcons (2-1)
4. Packers (2-1)
5. Seahawks (2-1)
6. Lions (2-1)
7. Cowboys (2-1)
The takeaway here for the 49ers is that they’ve avoided the slow starts that plagued them in each of the last two years that forced them to hit the road for the NFC championship game.
So far everything is good in their quest for the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Alas, the season does not end today and there’s plenty of work ahead for every team vying for a playoff spot. The 49ers will take the early lead in the NFC playoff race over battling their way up from the bottom.