The stakes for SE in its game vs. SF may not be that much. Start with GB's win over MN. This means that the loser of SF@SE is the fifth seed, or first WC, and will play at either Dallas or Philly. No worries about possibly being a six seed and going to GB or NO. SE's loss to AZ, though, means that if GB and NO both win their last game--maybe even if they don't--the Seahawks will be just the third seed. Is that much better than being the fifth seed? The third seed still has to play a WC game, they just get to play at home. But that may not be an advantage for SE. If they are third seed, they host MN, rather than going to Dallas or Philly. For all their problems, the Vikings appear to be a much better team than Dallas or Philly, even on the road vs. at home. So while they probably won't look at it that way, you could make a very good argument that SE would be better off losing to SF and going to Dallas or Philly.
What about going deeper in the playoffs? If SE won its game as the third seed, they would play the second seeded team. If they won their game as a fifth seed, who they played next would depend on the outcome of MN vs. the third seed. NO and GB would be the top two seeds in the first scenario, but we don't know at this point in which order. But does it matter? NO is probably the better team,but at least you can play the Saints in a warm dome, whereas a game in GB might be another epic ice bowl. If SEwon its game as a fifthseed, who they played next would depend on who won the 6 vs. 3 WC game. IF MN won, they would play the no. 1 seed, the 49ers, whereasif GB or NO won, SE would play the 49ers. So probably SE would have to play the 49ers, but they know them, of cours.e
If the 49ers win, they're definitely the no. 1 seed, so they do have a lot of stake. But another consequence o SE's loss to AZ is that the 49ers could win the division if they just tie SE. That seems unlikely, but remember when the two teams met earlier in the season, the game almost ended in a tie, and probably would have if the 49ers hadn't passed--literally--on a chance for a tie. But if they do tie this time, and NO and GB win their final game, then the 49ers are a third seed, with the potential disadvantage of hosting MN. It could get really interesting if the game were Sunday night, because then the 49ers would know where they stood if they tied,and that might affect any decisions they made if the game went to OT. If they were looking at a third seed with a tie, I'd think they'be well-advised not to play for a tie, unless they can do it without affecting their chances of winning.
Edit: SF@SE is indeed on Sunday night. So SE will know going into the game where they will be seeded if they win, and the 49ers will know where a tie would put them. More specifically, SE can get a first seed with a win only if both GB and NO lose. In fact, if GB wins, SE is the no. 3 seed, regardless of what NO does. If GB loses and NO wins, SE would be the no. 2 seed.
So the most likely scenarios are:
If SF wins:
SF
GB
NO
PH/DA
SE
MN
Assuming NO > MN and SE > PH/DA, the divisional round would be NO@GB and SE@SF.
If SE wins:
GB
NO
SE
PH/DA
SF
MN
Assuming SE > MN and SF > PH/DA, the divisional round would be SE@NO and SF@GB. So though the 49ers would avoid a WC game at GB if they lose to SE, assuming SE beat MN in the WC game, SF would still end up playing in GB the following week.
Note also that while a lot of sympathy has been expressed for SF or SE, one of which will have to play a WC game on the road against a team with a vastly inferior record, the Saints could end up hosting a WC game even if they finish 13-3. That's if both SF and GB win while NO wins.
Meanwhile, while the winner of the NFC E may be 8-8--if you think Philly isn't fully capable of losing to the NYG, you haven't been paying attention--the same may also be true in the AFC, where two 8-7 teams, the Steelers and the Titans, and one 7-8 team-- the Raiders!--all have a shot for the second WC. Amazing that the Raiders are still alive, but an awful lot has to happen for them to win a WC. Not only do they have to win and the Steelers and Titans lose, but another 7-8 team, Indy, has to lose, and at least one other team has to win in order for the Raiders to win a tie-breaker on strength of schedule vs. the Steelers.