San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped to derail the Detroit Lions' quest for the NFC's top seed. A Monday night upset would have been a morale booster for the playoff-eliminated 49ers, who aim to finish the season on a high note and build momentum heading into the offseason.
"Nothing would be better than upsetting them and ruining their chance at the one seed and having a game that we can be proud of," Shanahan said this past week.
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However, the Week 17 primetime matchup carries little significance for the Lions. Even with a loss, head coach Dan Campbell's team would still own a 13-3 record. Regardless of the outcome, the Lions' Week 18 clash with the Minnesota Vikings—who improved to 14-2 with a victory over the Green Bay Packers—will determine home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
This situation sets up a unique scenario: The Lions and Vikings both reside in the NFC North, meaning this season could feature a 14-win team starting the playoffs on the road for the first time in NFL history. The loser of next weekend's divisional showdown will be the No. 5 seed, despite their stellar record.
While Monday night's game against the 49ers doesn't hold much weight for the Lions' playoff positioning, it still allows Detroit to exact a little revenge. The 49ers eliminated the Lions from Super Bowl contention last season.
"We're bringing everything we got to this game and we are playing," Campbell said this past week. "I don't care what it looks like and where it's at and who's this, who's that. We're going out to play and win this game, out on the West Coast."
For Shanahan and the 49ers, the missed chance to spoil Detroit's playoff plans highlights a tough and injury-plagued season. Still, San Francisco remains focused on ending the 2024 season with pride.
"They're going to come in this week, and I think we're all very aware that they think that they gave us one last year," tight end George Kittle recently explained. "And I think they're going to do everything they can to come in here and beat us by 30 points. And it's our job to not let them do that.
"And, actually, I fully expect us to win. I go into every single game expecting to win a football game. If you go in expecting to lose, I think you're going to lose no matter what."