49ers beat Commanders, get help to clinch NFC's No. 1 seed - ESPN
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Purdy avoids sack, rolls right, then finds Aiyuk for TD (0:29)
Brock Purdy avoids the sack and spins out of the pocket, then looks downfield and finds an open Brandon Aiyuk for a touchdown. (0:29)
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterDec 31, 2023, 04:12 PM ET
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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagonerLANDOVER, 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.
