How Vikings' win over Bears impacted 49ers' playoff scenarios

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears 29-13 at Soldier Field on Sunday to finish the regular season with a 13-4 record.

That puts pressure on the 49ers to defeat the Arizona Cardinals. If the 49ers beat the Cardinals, they will secure the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed and can move into the top spot in the conference if the New York Giants take down the Philadelphia Eagles.

If San Francisco loses to Arizona, the 49ers will fall to the No. 3 seed.

The 49ers' hopes to steal the NFC's No. 1 seed took a hit Sunday when the Giants opted to rest key starters such as quarterback Daniel Jones, star running back Saquon Barkley and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. New York is locked into the No. 6 seed and will face whichever team earns the No. 3 seed.

The Dallas Cowboys also could move into the No. 1 seed if they beat the Washington Commanders and the 49ers and Eagles both lose.

Only one spot -- the No. 7 seed -- remains open in the NFC bracket with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions still in contention. If the Seahawks lose to the Los Angeles Rams, the "Sunday Night Football" matchup between Green Bay and Detroit will decide the final playoff berth. If the Seahawks beat the Rams, the Packers can still enter the postseason field by defeating the Lions.

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All three games with implications on the NFC's top seed -- 49ers-Cardinals, Eagles-Giants and Cowboys-Commanders -- kick off at 1:25 p.m. PT.

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