There was an interesting back-and-forth between Mike Florio and Chris Simms of NBC Sports during Pro Football Talk Live. The Niners Faithful woke up on Monday morning knowing that their San Francisco 49ers are now 3-3 in their last six games, including a heartbreaking last-second upset loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The 49ers' record drops to 11-3, and the team falls from the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff hunt to the No. 5 seed. The good news, of course, is the team clinched a playoff berth thanks to the Dallas Cowboys beating the Los Angeles Rams.
Still, merely earning a playoff spot may not be enough for San Francisco to make a Super Bowl run, according to Florio and Simms, and their reasoning is compelling.
The 49ers last had a break (not counting the few days after a Week 9 Thursday-night game) during Week 4. That's a long time to go without some significant rest.
Injuries have taken their toll during this final stretch of the season. The 49ers defense took the field against the Falcons without three of its five starting defensive backs, including the heart of the unit, Richard Sherman. The defensive line has dealt with several key losses for the remainder of the season and doesn't look quite as ferocious as it did early on.
Maybe the team is exhausted, which is why Florio and Simms feel a first-round bye week is so crucial for San Francisco. The team needs some rest.
"Look, they're tired. They haven't had their bye in weeks," Florio said. "It was Week 4. They really need a playoff bye, and they may not get one. If they have to play Wildcard weekend at Dallas or at Philly, that may not be good for the 49ers."
To get that bye week, the 49ers will likely need a strong finish and to win both of their final two games. The first will come on a bit of a short week with the Rams traveling to Levi's Stadium to play the Niners on Saturday. Then it will be a potential division and conference impacting matchup at CenturyLink Field against the Seattle Seahawks.
"The Rams are going to come in on Saturday night very desperate because it's a playoff game for them," said Florio, "but the 49ers know they're going to have to go to Seattle and win. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. I have a feeling it's going to come down to the last play."
You can listen to the entire conversation between Florio and Simms below.