Niners clinch NFC West repeat with win over Cardinals 

The first one to the dance is also the first team to win a division title.

San Francisco’s 45-29 win over Arizona on Sunday clinched the NFC West title for the 49ers.

The 49ers (11-3) continue to roll, having won their sixth straight game Sunday. Along the way, they’re crossing things off their to-do list. In San Francisco’s Week 14 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers clinched a playoff spot — the first team in the league to do so. A week later, they’ve locked up their second straight division crown.

“Our number one goal is to get in the playoffs,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said following the victory. “We got that last week. Winning this division, getting it last year, getting is this year, it’s huge. You just want to get in the playoffs, but when you win your division it’s a much better road in the playoffs. The guys were pumped about it. Now our biggest thing is making sure we got two home games. Trying to get a bye, so that’s what we’re focused on now.”

As Shanahan said, San Francisco will next look to clinch the NFC’s top seed.

Sunday marks head coach Kyle Shanahan’s third division title since taking over as the 49ers head coach in 2017. In 2019, San Francisco marched to the Super Bowl after winning the division, and last season, it advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

It obviously remains to be seen how the 2023 NFC West champions fare in the playoffs, but as of Week 15, the 49ers continue their impressive march into the postseason.