49ers beat Commanders, get help to clinch NFC's No. 1 seed - ESPN

LANDOVER, Md. — The NFC's road to the Super Bowl will go through Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners took care of business Sunday with a 27-10 win against the Washington Commanders and got some help from the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, respectively, to nail down the NFC's top seed.

San Francisco will host any NFC playoff games it plays at Levi's Stadium and, more important, will get a bye for wild-card weekend.

It's the first time the Niners (12-4) have been the top seed in the NFC since 2019, which was also their most recent Super Bowl appearance.

Not only do the Niners get a bye, but they also have the option to rest injured and banged-up players in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.

That could be important for players such as running back Christian McCaffrey, who departed Sunday's win against the Commanders with a right calf injury and did not return.