Why 49ers fans should root for Seahawks over Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 16

Matt Sullivan

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Why 49ers fans should root for Seahawks over Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 16 image

The San Francisco 49ers, after all of the injuries they've dealt with all season long, are 10-4, and right behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.

But, after splitting the series against the Rams and winning over the Seahawks in Week 1, the 49ers are still in the race for the NFC West division title and the NFC's number one seed.

They need some help right now, but as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth pointed out on their podcast, Fitz & Whit, a Seahawks win on Thursday Night Football over the Rams would be a huge help for the 49ers. Niners fans will be Seahawks fans in Week 16, and here's why.

Why 49ers fans should root for Seahawks on TNF vs. Rams in Week 16

"If the Rams win out, they win the NFC West, and they're the 1 seed," Fitzpatrick said. "If Seattle wins and they win out, they're the NFC West champs and the 1 seed."

But those are just two of the possible scenarios this season. There's a third, more stunning outcome, which involved the 49ers, which is the reason why 49ers fans should be cheering for the Seahawks on Thursday Night.

"If Seattle beats the Rams, but the 49ers win out (which means the 49ers beat Seattle in Week 18)," Fitzpatrick said, "then the 49ers are not only the NFC West champs, but they are the 1 seed in the NFC. That seems cray to me."

This scenario is a very specific one, but with just three weeks left, it's not far-fetched. A Seahawks win on Thursday Night Football, followed by the 49ers winning out, would mean that the 49ers would be 13-4 and atop the NFC West.

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To reach such a scenario, the Seahawks first need to beat the Rams. Fortunately, it's in Seattle, and with Devante Adams out for the Rams, their offense will be short-staffed on a short-week.

For the 49ers side of the equation, they will start their "crazy" comeback attempt with a Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup against the Indianapolis Colts and Philip Rivers.

Then, in between their Week 16 matchup and a potentially season-altering Week 18 matchup against the Seahawks, the 49ers will play the 10-4 Chicago Bears. But it's a home game for the 49ers, as is their final game of the regular season.

The path to the 1 seed is possible, and it all begins with the Seahawks and Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 16. As long as the Seahawks win, the 49ers will control their own destiny when it comes to the NFC West and the 1 seed in the NFC.

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Senior Editor