The San Francisco 49ers hope Sunday's dominant win over the Chicago Bears marks the beginning of a late-season surge. It will take an impressive run in the final four games—and some outside help—to keep their playoff hopes alive. The situation looks daunting, especially with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams winning their Week 14 matchups.
The 49ers face a short week and will host the Rams on Thursday night in another must-win game for head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad, who are clinging to hope for a miraculous turnaround.
"We feel good right now. We played well," Shanahan said after the team's decisive 38-13 victory. "It's going to come fast, and the only way we're going to really enjoy today is if we take care of business on Thursday.
"And then, we'll have three days to kind of enjoy it and come back and deal with our last three games. But if you don't take care of business on Thursday, not much to celebrate about today."
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Shanahan shared that he told his players how proud he was of their response against Chicago. He emphasized the importance of rest and recovery before the upcoming compressed week of preparation.
Defensive momentum
The 49ers' defense delivered one of its best performances of the season on Sunday, holding the Bears to just 162 total yards. The unit hopes to carry that momentum into Thursday night's pivotal division matchup.
"It's extremely important," linebacker Fred Warner said. "We talked about we just wanted one win. That was the goal today, to just get one win. And then, now, obviously, we got that, and it's the same mindset this week.
"Just one win, Thursday night against a divisional opponent, and we've got to win in the division. We've got to win all these, honestly. But it's just about one game."
Offensive focus
Quarterback Brock Purdy acknowledged the significance of Sunday's win but emphasized the importance of quickly shifting focus to the Rams, who are also battling to climb the NFC West standings.
"It's huge, but it's a quick turnaround, that's for sure," Purdy explained. "So we just all got to get healthy, get back on track, and come back out Thursday with this kind of mindset of playing aggressive and doing what it takes for four quarters.
"I think the game will go how it needs to go, but for us, our mindset is the biggest thing. We've got to clear this, not get too high on it or anything, and learn from it, and come ready Thursday. It's a 0-0 game and a clean slate."
Kittle's optimism
The always-optimistic George Kittle hasn't given up on the 49ers' season, believing the team can achieve something special over the final four games.
"We still have everything in front of us to play for," the tight end said. "I know certain things might need to happen, but if we win every single game, I think we put ourselves in a very good position to either win the division or somehow sneak our way into playoff contention. Everyone just focus on this one week. Hey, everybody lock in.
"Forget the whole season. Whether you've played like crap the entire season, whether you've had the missed opportunities, whether you have a bunch of touchdowns, whatever it is, flush all that and just focus on this one game. Put all your time and effort and energy into this one game, and then we'll live with those results."
While the odds are stacked against the 49ers, Kittle remains confident in the team's potential.
"I definitely think everybody in this building still believes," Kittle added. "Our coaching staff is excellent. Coach Shanahan dials up great game plans. And our execution today was, I thought, really, really well done. And so, if you can just combine those two things, our offense is pretty good."
Short week, big stakes
The 49ers face a formidable challenge in the Rams, who won their earlier matchup this season. However, with renewed confidence and momentum, San Francisco aims to defy the odds and keep its slim postseason hopes alive.
The focus is clear: take it one game at a time, starting with Thursday night.