49ers clinch NFC West title with decisive win over Cardinals

49ers clinch NFC West title with decisive win over Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers clinched the NFC West title for the second consecutive season with a decisive 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium.

San Francisco swept its divisional slate of games in back-to-back seasons, tying an NFC West record with its 12th straight win over a divisional foe. The most recent team to have a comparable run of dominance against divisional opponents was the St. Louis Rams, who also won 12 consecutive NFC West games from 1999-2000.

This season's divisional crown is the 49ers' third in the last five seasons, and it marks the first time that San Francisco has claimed the NFC West title in back-to-back seasons since 2011-2012.

The 49ers have won six games in a row by double digits, tying a franchise record for consecutive wins by 10 or more points, which the team accomplished in 1987 and 1993.

Sunday's win over Arizona improved Kyle Shanahan's regular-season record against the NFC West to 24-18 since taking over as 49ers coach in 2017, a remarkable turnaround after starting 2-10 in divisional games during his first two years with the team.

San Francisco remains the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture and will secure a first-round bye with victories in each of its three remaining games on the schedule.

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