:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71756359/1449497534.0.jpg "When was the last time the 49ers won the NFC West division title")
The San Francisco 49ers clinched the NFC West on Thursday, beating the Seattle Seahawks 21-13 on to open Week 15. They improved to 10-4 on the year, which also likely locks them into the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the 2023 NFC Playoffs, depending on what happens with the winners of the NFC East and NFC North.
San Francisco has locked up the division for the first time since 2019. They went 13-3 that year and made it all the way to Super Bowl LIV. They came up short in a 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers then went 6-10 in 2020 before a 10-7 finish last season. While they didn't win the division, they made the playoffs with a wild card berth and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship game. They lost a close one to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to win the Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals.
This marks the 22nd time that the 49ers have won their division. Since 2000, they have locked up the division five times, but this run feels special. They have a solid defense, and they are getting out to early leads on offense. Even with former Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy under center, San Francisco is finding ways to win. The team acquired running back Christian McCaffrey at the trade deadline and has yet to lose with him in the backfield. It remains to be seen how far this 49ers team can go, but they measure up well against a weaker NFC as they will be trying to win their first Super Bowl since 1994.