The San Francisco 49ers could have put themselves in a good situation with a win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. That didn't happen, and now the team will have to run the table and maybe get some help along the way to keep its diminishing playoff hopes alive.
The mood during post-game interviews was somber. Players know the situation in which they've put themselves. They face a steep uphill battle for the remainder of the season. The team is ready to get back to work, though, and can only control what is in front of it.
"We've got four more games that we can account for, that we're in charge of, and we've got to win all of them," head coach Kyle Shanahan said during his post-game press conference. "... I know with our team right now, the only thing we can count on and control is making sure we win the rest of these. It starts versus Washington next week. ... We know we've got to win all of these."
Speaking to reporters via Zoom, several players discussed the locker-room mentality after the disappointing 34-24 defeat.
"After the loss, we're frustrated," quarterback Nick Mullens said. "We really feel like we can be a better football team, so we're all frustrated. But we know this loss isn't going to break us. There's a lot of football left to be played. We get more opportunities. Ready to get back to work for those opportunities. This team is as tough as it gets. We're not going to back down. We embrace the challenge."
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw feels the 49ers won't have a problem putting the loss behind them, being ready to get back to work, and giving it their all as they prepare for the next opponent.
"Coach is right. We've got four games left," Greenlaw said, "and it's just up to us to step up, the defense, as a team, and make them count."
Knowing each game is now a must-win, linebacker Fred Warner is also moving on from the loss.
"We've got to just focus on Washington coming up, and you've just got to take it one game at a time," Warner said. "I know I have all the belief in this team, and we'll see where the cards lay when it's all said and done. But we've just got to focus on one game at a time."
Added cornerback Richard Sherman: "They're all must-wins. We've got to go out there, and we've got to find a way to get it done. Unfortunately, today, we didn't get it done on the defensive side of the ball, and we've got to check the film out hard and be able to make those adjustments and make those corrections."
The next game might be a little more meaningful for one 49ers player. Left tackle Trent Williams will be facing his former team on Sunday — a team he was happy to leave after the 49ers acquired him via a trade in April.
"It's a long season," Williams said. "We've got four games left. It's the last quarter of the year. We understand that the focus has to be heightened, that we don't really have a lot of wiggle room. We kind of control our own destiny, but we still need some guys to fall short. We only can control what we can control. Our next focus is on Washington, and we've got to get a win."
Every game moving forward must be treated as a playoff game because one misstep will likely eliminate San Francisco's chance of continued play in January. Even rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk knows what's at stake, and acknowledged the sense of urgency.
"We came into this game as a must-win, treating it like a playoff game," Aiyuk told reporters. "It didn't go our way. Now, like Trent said earlier, control what we can. We know these are definitely must-wins. That's what we can control. We have to rely on some losses on other sides, but it's still the same. Control what we can, and just treat it like the playoffs, and try to win out."
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