The San Francisco 49ers will play at least one playoff game in January. That much is guaranteed. The team hopes to play more. Many more. The Niners hope to play into February.
The team as a whole doesn't have much playoff experience, though. One veteran player, cornerback Richard Sherman, does. He has been to two Super Bowls and won one. He has plenty of experience playing January football, and that's invaluable for the 49ers and his young teammates.
Sherman and fellow defensive back K'Waun Williams missed this past weekend's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Sherman was dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, an injury that typically requires weeks of recovery, while Williams was dealing with the symptoms of a concussion. Both will be back on the football field on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
General manager John Lynch, who played safety on some pretty special NFL defenses himself, knows what it means to play championship football. He joined KNBR on Thursday and discussed what it means to get a player like Sherman back in time for this championship run.
"Aside from great play, [Sherman] brings that mentality, that championship mentality," Lynch said. "You've got to stick your foot on someone's neck, and end it."
That's something the 49ers couldn't do on Sunday, even after leading the Falcons 19-10 in the fourth quarter.
"I think he and K'Waun, I think (bring) a level of awareness," Lynch continued. "You need your good players, and we've been doing a fantastic job — and the guys this last week did — of competing their tails off ... even when we didn't have all our starters. But those guys will help in terms of finishing your opponents.
"And also just a general awareness to know when that game is on the line, they're probably going to go to number 11 (Julio Jones), when you're talking about the Atlanta Falcons, and doing the necessary things to take that away. It's a welcome sight to have those guys back."
About that Grade 2 hamstring strain that would keep most players out at least a couple more weeks, Lynch was asked about that, too.
"Sherm's different," Lynch said. "That's one thing I've learned, and you have to earn that respect from guys. There's guys I've played with — some guys heal at a different rate.
"And then there's also a mindset. Sherm's got one of the best mindsets I've ever been around about willing himself back on the field, and he's able to do it. He's done it throughout his entire career. You still don't believe it when you start to work with someone, but then he earns that right.
"It's one thing if he was saying, 'I'm not going to practice all week, and then I'm going to go.' We probably wouldn't allow him to do that. He practiced [Tuesday]. He practiced all week, hasn't missed a snap, and he looks great.
"So Sherm's going to be ready, and God love him for it. He's a fantastic competitor, and that mentality is part of what makes players special in this league, and I love it about him. He's a great example for the rest of our team."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.