The San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs, but they will be taking aim at a larger goal over the season’s final two weeks.

The 49ers have an outside chance to win the NFC West. They are in a tight, three-horse battle for the divisional crown along with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, a fight in which the Seahawks presently hold an edge.

The 49ers will need to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 17 to keep their division title hopes alive and create an exciting battle between themselves and the Seahawks in the season’s final week.

Here’s a breakdown of the 49ers’ playoff picture and how they could potentially emerge as the NFC West winner for the third time in four seasons.

49ers playoff chances

The 49ers clinched a playoff berth in Week 16 thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Detroit Lions. San Francisco was still able to win its “Monday Night Football” game against the Indianapolis Colts, allowing Kyle Shanahan’s squad to remain in the NFC West race down the stretch of the season.

49ers playoff scenarios

The 49ers will either win the NFC West or earn a wild-card berth. Here’s a look at what it will take for San Francisco to win its division in 2025:

• 49ers win final two games against Bears and Seahawks

If the 49ers can beat the Bears on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 17, it will set up a battle between San Francisco and Seattle in Week 18, with the winner earning the NFC West title and the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed.

A loss (or tie) against the Bears would eliminate the 49ers from the NFC West battle and relegate them to being either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff race.

NFC West standings

The 49ers are currently in second place in the NFC West standings. Below is a look at the pecking order within the division:

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

The Seahawks have already won their Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers. That put Mike Macdonald’s squad a game-and-a-half ahead of the 49ers and Rams, who are playing on “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” this week respectively.

The 49ers hold tiebreaker advantages over the Seahawks and Rams. San Francisco beat Seattle head-to-head in Week 1 and will play the Seahawks again in Week 18 with a potential division title on the line.

Meanwhile, San Francisco’s 4-1 divisional record is better than Los Angeles’ mark of 3-2. That will give the 49ers a slight edge over the Rams as they jockey for positioning behind the Seahawks.

49ers remaining schedule

The 49ers have one of the toughest remaining schedules league-wide, as both of their remaining games are against playoff teams. Below is a look at their full schedule:

• Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears (11-4)
• Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Seahawks remaining schedule

The Seahawks just have one game left on their schedule after winning their Week 17 game against the Panthers. Below is a look at their remaining matchup:

• Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers (11-4)

Rams remaining schedule

The Rams have the easiest remaining schedule of the bunch, as their final two opponents have combined for just nine wins. Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ remaining schedule:

• Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
• Week 18: vs. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

NFL playoff picture

Here’s how the AFC and NFC stack up for Week 17:

AFC

1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
2. New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East leaders)*
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
5. Buffalo Bills (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
6. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*
2. Chicago Bears (11-4, NFC North winners)*
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, NFC East winners)*
4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4, wild card No. 2)*
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.

A predawn sideshow in San Francisco’s typically quiet Sunset District spiraled into chaos Saturday morning, leaving a rented U-Haul truck burned, a nearby vehicle damaged and neighbors angry over what they described as a delayed police response.

The sideshow erupted around 4:30 a.m. at two intersections just one block apart — Kirkham Street and the Lower Great Highway, and Kirkham Street and 48th Avenue — according to witnesses. Neighbors reported cars spinning donuts, fireworks being set off and gunfire echoing through the neighborhood.

The U-Haul moving truck was set on fire near the intersection of Kirkham Street and 48th Avenue.  Todd Brown, who had rented the U-Haul, said the noise of the loud sideshow woke him from sleep and sounded more like a racetrack than a residential street. “They were revving up their motors,” Brown said.

The situation escalated when some spectators vandalized Brown’s truck, breaking the front windshield and opening the door. From inside his home, Brown watched as people set the vehicle on fire.

“They were actually setting off Roman candles inside the car,” Brown said. “Here’s one of the Roman candles, right here.”

Brown said some people in the crowd appeared to be armed, prompting him to stay inside and focus on keeping the flames from spreading to his house. “There were too many people, I didn’t even want them to know that it was mine,” he said. “I was afraid the house was going to catch on fire. It was bad.”

Frightened neighbors said they repeatedly called police as the scene grew more dangerous. Witnesses estimated there were at least 100 participants and spectators.

Perry Jackson said he heard gunshots during the chaos. “[One guy] just reached into his waistband and ‘pop, pop,’ started popping off shots,” Jackson said. “That’s when we went ahead and called the cops and, ‘hey, not only do we have a sideshow, but they’re popping off shots’.”

Neighbors also reported spectators jumping on top of a parked work van, damaging its roof and windshield.

Many residents expressed frustration that it took police at least 20 minutes to respond. Jackson said officers told neighbors they were overwhelmed. “They were outnumbered,” he said. “I asked [an officer].  And he said there was only two squad cars, and so they had to wait for backup.”

Newly appointed District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong met with neighbors Saturday afternoon to address concerns and discuss possible solutions. “There had been suggestions from some of the neighbors about a potential roundabout or different rubber speed bumps to provide some environmental preventions from this happening again,” Wong said. “Then there’s the response side of things, being able to encourage and ensure that we’re fully staffed up in the police department.”

The incident comes as the city steps up penalties for sideshows. Mayor Daniel Lurie recently signed legislation cosponsored by Wong that doubles fines for participating in sideshows from $500 to $1,000.

Some neighbors say tougher penalties alone won’t be enough. 

“They need to hire more police like they’re keep saying they’re hiring more police, but it’s not happening quick enough,” said Tony Villa.

As for Brown, he said he was able to salvage only a few kitchen cabinets from the U-Haul, losing most of the cabinets and furniture inside. Jackson summed up the mood of many neighbors: “I’m bumped out. It’s a drag.”

San Francisco police said one person was detained in connection with setting the U-Haul on fire, and that person’s car was impounded. Officers said they are continuing to investigate and are working to identify additional participants involved in the sideshow.