The San Francisco 49ers' 2024 season sits at a crossroads as they come out of their Bye week.
They hold a 4-4 record and sit on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture. They're also a half game back of the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC West lead, and sitting in third place in the division because the Los Angeles Rams hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.
By most measures that ultimately matter, the 49ers have been a pretty middle-of-the-road club through eight games. That's reflected in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings where they sit at No. 16 after their Bye week.
The next four weeks will define their entire year and give them an opportunity to tip toward the side that features Super Bowl contention.
San Francisco will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in Week 10, then come home to host the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. After that they'll have back-to-back road contests at Green Bay and Buffalo.
Going 3-1 or 4-0 in this stretch will entrench the 49ers as a Super Bowl contender. That'd put them at either 7-5 or 8-4 with four quality wins in a row. It would also signal that the typical second-half push by San Francisco is in play.
If they split those four games or worse, they're going to have a hard time making the postseason at all.
It's an 18-week season, but if the 49ers are going to show they're better than a middle-of-the-road team, it has to start with their first four games out of the Bye.
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