Here's how the 49ers could end up the 1 seed, the 5 seed, or even the 6 seed in the NFC playoffs

Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after the game against Washington during the second half at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after the game against Washington during the second half at FedExField on October 20, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Here's how the 49ers could end up the 1 seed, the 5 seed, or even the 6 seed in the NFC playoffs 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The San Francisco 49ers are going to the playoffs.

Exactly what seed they're going in with, well, that is still considerably up in the air.

The Niners could actually finish the season as either A) the NFC's 1 seed with a bye in the first round of the playoffs, B) the NFC's 5 seed with a first round wildcard game, or C) the NFC's 6 seed with a first round wildcard game and an automatic date with the 1 seed.

Here's what the playoff picture currently looks like:

1 seed: 49ers (12-3)

2 seed: Saints (12-3)

3 seed: Packers (11-3)

4 seed: Eagles (8-7)

5 seed: Seahawks (11-4)

6 seed: Vikings (10-4)

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There are major implications on Monday Night Football tonight for a whole host of teams listed above: If Green Bay wins Monday night, it clinches the NFC North and Minnesota clinches the 6 seed, leaving the NFC West crown and 1 seed in the playoffs entirely on the 49ers-Seahawks' Sunday night affair.

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If the Vikings win, however, the Niners find their way into a whole bunch of potential tiebreaker scenarios, which — good news — we're here to break down:

Scenario 1: How the Niners end up the 6 seed

- Vikings beat the Packers and Bears

- Packers lose to the Vikings and beat the Lions

- 49ers lose to the Seahawks

The 49ers, Packers and Vikings all finish the season 12-4 in this scenario. The Seahawks win the NFC West, the Packers win the NFC North, and the Vikings and 49ers go to a tie-breaker for the 5th and the 6th seed. And since they 1) didn't play each other, and 2) would both have three losses in conference, it would go to a third tiebreaker scenario: Win-Loss-Tie record against common opponents. The pair both played Green Bay, Washington, Atlanta, and Seattle, and the Niners would finish 2-3 against those teams while the Vikes would finish 3-2, earning them the 5 seed and the Niners the 6 seed.

Scenario 2: How the Niners end up the 5 seed



- Vikings lose to either the Packers or the Bears

- 49ers lose to the Seahawks

The only way the Niners end up the 5 seed is if they lose to the Seahawks AND the Vikings don't win out.

Scenario 3: How the Niners end up the 1 seed

- 49ers beat the Seahawks

Simple as that.

Grant Marek is the Editorial Director of SFGATE. Email: grant.marek@sfgate.com | Twitter: @grant_marek