The San Francisco 49ers should be playoff bound given their current positioning. The Niners are the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture with a 9-4 record. They also sit just 0.5 games back of the division leading Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks who both check in at 9-3.

How high could the 49ers climb? One writer says they could finish as the NFC's No. 1 seed.

East Bay Times' Deiter Kurtenbach says the Niners could within reason take over the league's top spot. He began his contention in the following way.

"After three months of catastrophic injuries, identity crises, and the kind of week-to-week roster shuffling that usually ages a fan base in dog years, the 49ers are no longer just fighting for oxygen. They are staring down a legitimate, realistic path to the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. ...

Let’s look at the slate. It’s a four-course meal that I’d argue is surprisingly digestible: The Titans, at Indianapolis, Chicago, Seattle.

If they run the table—win all four—they are probably the top seed."

The path includes taking down NFC contenders in the Chicago Bears (9-3) and divisional rival Seattle Seahawks (9-3). Certainly, winning those games could pave the way toward the top of the league adding a fourth loss to teams with other tough games ahead. But much of the optimism surrounding the Niners' chances revolves around a wide-open NFC.

The Los Angeles Rams' recent loss to the Carolina Panthers may have simply been an aberration, but it does highlight the vulnerability atop the NFC from each of its contenders.

Kurtenbach admits that attaining the No. 1 seed is not fully in the team's control. The Niners will need plenty of help even if they are able to take down three consecutive playoff contenders in Indianapolis, Seattle and Chicago. Kurtenbach continued his reasoning.

"The Packers need to lose again. The Eagles need to lose again. The Seahawks need to beat the Rams on December 18.

Is that outlandish? Have you watched the Philadelphia Eagles lately? They are the bad-vibe kings of the NFL, a team that seems to dislike playing good football almost as much as they dislike each other. Would you rather bet on them running the table or on them imploding in a cloud of sideline shouting matches?"

A difficult road lies ahead for the Niners who could just as easily go 1-2 against their three toughest opponents and fall solidly into the basement of the NFC playoff picture, or worse, get overtaken by the 8-5 Detroit Lions. Still, there's any number of playoff possibilities for the team. It all starts with the Tennessee Titans after the bye week.