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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
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
