The San Francisco 49ers have put themselves in a challenging situation. While the team isn't technically eliminated, it might take a small miracle for San Francisco to earn a playoff spot with an 8-8 record. And even that would mean winning its final three games.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked after Sunday's 23-15 loss to Washington if this has been the most frustrating season he has endured over his career.
"Yeah, probably," Shanahan answered. "It's been different, but I think it's been different for the whole league, so I'm not sitting here trying to throw a pity party. It's been different for everybody. ... We can play a lot better than we did today. I'm not taking anything away from Washington. I really respect that football team right now, what Ron's (Rivera) is doing, and how hard they're playing, but I know we could have done better today."
While Shanahan is frustrated, his veteran cornerback, Richard Sherman, sees things a little differently. He had another word to describe the 49ers' 2020 campaign.
"It's really not that frustrating," Sherman responded. "It's unfortunate. You can't control injuries. All you can control is your attitude and your effort, and that's what we're bringing every week. We played as hard as we could. You can't worry about what happens on the other side of the ball ... You can only control what your group does. We're fighting and playing as hard as we can."
Realistically, the 49ers will not be playing past Week 17. There are still three more games, though. How does the team stay motivated while finishing out the season, especially given the high expectations entering it?
"We've got to look at the glass half full," running back Raheem Mostert said. "We have the ability to go out there each week and put it on the line for this organization, for this team, and personally, for yourselves. We have to just make sure that we understand that.
"This is not a vacation. This is not a retreat. We're here to get a job done, and that's the end of the discussion. You don't want to go in here and feel like you have to do too much, especially with the playoffs right there. You've just got to control what you can control and go out there and give it your all and get those wins."
It doesn't sound like players have given up on their playoff hopes. However, they understand that the uphill battle just got steeper following the eighth loss of the season.
"We've just got to win," cornerback Jason Verrett said. "At the end of the day, we've got three games left. We've got to find a way to try to win out. But it starts next week with Dallas, and try to get a W."
Offensive tackle Trent Williams wants to make sure his teammates have the right mindset heading into this final stretch. That means fixing the team's turnover problems.
"We've definitely got to make sure everybody's on the same page," Williams said. "We won't beat anybody on our schedule giving the ball away like we did these last few games. ... We still have a chance, and all we can do is control these last three games, and try to take it one game at a time, and win each one of them, and finish at 8-8 and see what that gets us. That's pretty much the only thing we can do at this point, and that's what we're prepared to go."
Current NFC Playoff Standings (Division leaders italicized)
- Green Bay Packers, 10-3
- New Orleans Saints, 10-3
- Los Angeles Rams, 9-4
- Washington, 6-7
- Seattle Seahawks, 9-4
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-5
- Arizona Cardinals, 7-6
- Minnesota Vikings, 6-7
- Chicago Bears, 6-7
- Detroit Lions, 5-8
- San Francisco 49ers, 5-8
- New York Giants, 5-8