Kyle Shanahan says clash with Cardinals being treated like a playoff game, 49ers’ biggest game yet

Will there be a letdown for the San Francisco 49ers this week? The team is on a five-game winning streak and is coming off three big games in a row. They won in Seattle, then in Philadelphia, and last week won at home against the Seahawks. Now they travel to Glendale, Arizona to play the Cardinals, a team that has lost a lot of games this season but has started playing better.

On Friday, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Greg Papa on this week's episode of "49ers Game Plan." The interview included a breakdown of some things that happened last week against Seattle but also looked ahead to Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Shanahan did not shy away from the importance of winning in Arizona.

If you listen to the head coach, the 49ers won't be overlooking Arizona. The Cardinals have QB Kyler Murray back, and he's given the 49ers trouble in the past. And Arizona has some weapons to go along with Murray, like wide receivers Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Rondale Moore, as well as tight end Trey McBride, who has been a weapon for the Cardinals in the passing game. Arizona also has a very good running game, led by James Conner.

It doesn't help that the 49ers are dealing with a handful of injuries on defense. Oh, and the Cardinals are coming off their bye, so they should be more rested, as well.

But Shanahan said the team is approaching the remaining four games as if they are postseason games that you have to win. The 49ers know that the best way to get to the Super Bowl is to only have to play two games in the playoffs, and that means having the number-one seed, which not only allows you to play your games at home, but it gives you a first-round bye, which would be huge for a team that is dealing with injuries, and that plays as physical as the 49ers do.

The 49ers have already clinched a playoff spot, now they'll try to clinch the NFC West, which they can do with a win on Sunday. But the bigger prize is the number one seed, which the 49ers currently possess. To get the top seed in the NFC, the 49ers have to win this week, as well as all the games that follow, especially with Dallas and Philadelphia right there.

If the 49ers do lose a game, they will have to hope the Cowboys and Eagles do, too. In the playoffs, winning in Dallas or Philadelphia won't be an easy task. So while you control your outcomes, you need to take advantage of it.

"I mean, people talk about our whole schedule here and what everyone else is doing, but we do control our own destiny," Shanahan said. "And yeah, it's nice to win our division. Yes, it's nice to be in the playoffs, but we all know the ultimate goal and the best way to position yourself in the playoffs and that's to only have two games.

"We'd love for them to be at home, which if you only have two games, they are at home. We feel we can go anywhere and play, but we'd much rather do two of those than three and especially here at Levi's. So if we don't win this week, then that causes a lot of problems. So we look at this game the exact same. We look at really everyone from here on out, it's a playoff game for us. We think they all are a big factor in what our ultimate goal is and that's why this game is bigger than any other one we've had so far."

Don't count on the 49ers overlooking anyone. This team knows what it's like to get so close to a championship, only to barely miss out. Shanahan believes his team will be ready for the Cardinals, and each game that follows.

And they should be. The playoffs have essentially begun.

• Marc Adams
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