There have been multiple moments over the past several months where the thought of this San Francisco 49ers team being a number one seed in the playoffs would have seemed far-fetched at best, but that's exactly where they are with two games left to play.
The expectations for this year's version of the 49ers took a hit over the offseason when several of the team's veterans on defense left in free agency, while the team also traded away one of their key pieces in previous playoff runs when they moved wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. Things looked particularly bleak after an already-young defense lost its two leaders, linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa, to season-ending injuries, while the offense had to battle through starting quarterback Brock Purdy missing several games due to turf toe as well as multi-week injuries to tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
But they stand at 11-4 with home games remaining against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, and if they win them both, the 49ers will be the NFC's number one overall seed.
During their latest win, a 48-27 Monday night romp over the Indianapolis Colts, the 49ers looked like a team that was ready for a potential playoff run, particularly on offense. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan and a few of the 49ers' players reflected on the road they've traveled, as well as what lies ahead for them as they play for a No. 1 seed.
Taking a different mindset to start the year
The 49ers clinched a playoff spot the day before their win over the Colts when the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Detroit Lions. That led to a team meeting where Shanahan congratulated the players on their accomplishment, which started with preseason expectations that were a little lower than the 49ers usually have.
"At the team meeting, the (Steelers-Lions) game ended right before we got in there and I just told the guys how proud of them I was," Shanahan said.
The 49ers had been a common participant in the playoffs before last season, including their most recent Super Bowl appearance in 2023. They headed into 2024 expecting to get another chance, but the season went south and the team's record fell to 6-11. After parting ways with a number of veterans, Shanahan told the team to take a different mindset towards 2025 and focus on taking one step at a time rather than focusing directly on the Super Bowl.
"I remember starting this offseason, bringing the guys over to my house back in OTAs and all the vets, guys that have been here for three or four years," Shanahan said. "There were always guys who, every time we've gone to OTAs, it's been all about trying to get to a Super Bowl, trying to win a Super Bowl, and I wanted to make sure that we didn't really talk that way this year. We needed to focus on just trying to be the best team we could be and we'll see what happens. That's kind of been our motto all year, and I was just so proud that I actually now, last night, could congratulate them and actually talk about the playoffs because they are in that, they got in there, and now it's time to position ourselves to try to do something special in that."
Shanahan wanted to implement that mindset based on the lessons learned from 2020, which was another season where the 49ers were coming off a Super Bowl but wound up with six wins. Injuries sunk that team's chances and crushed player morale, which is something Shanahan wanted to avoid.
"I wanted guys to just know like you can't always look at it that way (Super Bowl or bust)," Shanahan said. "Like if you do, a couple bad things happen, a couple injuries happen and you can get very deflated. I wanted guys to just focus on being the best they can and earning the right to talk that way and those guys did that. They earned to get in the playoffs and now we'll see what we can do in it."
That strategy has worked for the 49ers, who have seen their one-game-at-a-time approach build a team that could wind up being tough to beat once the postseason begins.
"I think that was awesome that he did that because the last couple of years, the culture and the teams that we've had, that was a realistic goal to go attack the first seed, go make it deep into the playoffs, go make it to the Super Bowl, win it," Purdy said. "Like those are great goals and realistic. This year, I think it was just really cool for him to understand our team, where we're at, the turnover and all that kind of thing and being real with the older guys that have been here. "And the challenge of, 'Hey, man, we've got to win some gritty games early in the year, in the middle of the season, and then late in the year, and see where we're at when it's all said and done.'
"So I think it's just been really cool because that's been our mindset. Like, we just take it one week at a time. We haven't been getting wrapped up in the playoff picture or anything like that. And then once we just handle business one week at a time, we're sitting in a good spot. So, it's just really good coaching on his part, and you could see his experience coaching and stuff to be able to relay that to all the guys."
Different year, different team
The 2024 team faced adversity as well, including multiple injuries to running back Christian McCaffrey that kept him on the sidelines for much of the season after winning the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023, a season-ending injury to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and a late-year injury to left tackle Trent Williams after he held out for the preseason. But while last year's team finished with just six wins, this year's team came out of the other side of adversity as a playoff squad, due in part to their different mindset.
"A lot of things were going on last year," Williams said Monday night. "So I think it was a lot deeper than just having the team together. It's always been the next man up league, but I really can't put my finger on it to say like, you know, we're doing this more than we did last year. I didn't play a lot of games last year, so it's hard for me to give you like a full analysis, but I think just this year, I think we understand like it's not gonna be given to us. I think you think coming off the Super Bowl like you're just going to be right back there, or even close, and maybe that knocked the edge off a little bit, and this year it's kind of like, no matter what, what kind of team we got, we know we've got to go out there and play the game."
This year's team also rallied together after injuries to Warner, Bosa, Purdy, and others. Those injuries felt devastating at the time, but the 49ers had players like quarterback Mac Jones and linebacker Tatum Bethune step in and keep the team winning in the early going.
"I think it brought us closer together," Williams said. "I'd be lying to tell you that it didn't affect us. It affected us. It affected everybody, seeing your leader, the best linebacker in the game on the ground. Hearing that one of your other leaders, Nick Bosa, one of the best DLs in the league, has torn his ACL. It's really hard to take that and just say, 'Right, next man up.' I'd be sitting here lying if I told you that was the case, but you know, I think it brought us closer together, it gave other guys a chance to step up and, guys like Tatum, we're really happy for him, so the team just kind of surrounded him, huddled around him, and just we knew how important this opportunity was for him."
There were other factors that helped this team as well, according to Kittle. He cited the health of McCaffrey, who could surpass 1,000 rushing and receiving yards this season, as well as the additions of two defensive coaches in coordinator Robert Saleh and assistant head coach Gus Bradley.
"I would say, one, Christian McCaffrey being healthy -- huge," Kittle said Monday. "I mean, he's what, like, 900 yards both ways? It's pretty sick. Good job, Christian. And then I'll give credit to coaches. One, I love Robert Saleh. I just think his energy and his fire that he brings every single day—and he's like a really good coach. I think that's awesome. And then our other guy, Gus Bradley, he gives the greatest pump-up speeches the night before every game. They're just stories, and they don't really have anything to do with football. They're just like fun, but they always have like a really good point at the end... I view him similar to me. Gus just loves the game of football, has a great time coaching it, loves every single day, every opportunity, win or lose, loves it. And then that just kind of bleeds into the entire offense. And so having someone like that, I think is incredibly helpful, too."
Whatever factors played into it, the 49ers were able to avoid getting too low, and so far it's resulted in 11 wins.
"Each team's so different, each game's so different," Shanahan said. "But I mean we had so much turnover this year, so we do have a ton of new guys. We have a ton of guys who've been here who stepped it up. I don't think we've dropped any games that we should have won. I think we've been able to stay consistent throughout the year and I think we came in with a mindset just taking it one game at a time and trying to get better throughout the year, and I think we have. I think we did today, and it's important that we continue that."
The number one seed is in their grasp, with maybe even more on the horizon
With their spot in the playoffs clinched, the 49ers now can look ahead to playing for the number one seed, as well as what could come if they clinch it. The primary focus remains on their final two games against the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, both of whom have clinched playoff spots of their own. These games will do more than just decide who gets the number one seed -- they'll give the 49ers a litmus test on where they stand against the other top contenders.
"(The number one seed is) important," Williams said. "It's not end-all be-all, but it's definitely important. We got two playoff teams coming up, so I'm just more excited to see how we match up. Can we continue to play the football that we're proud of, the football that we played tonight? Because it's a great chance that we could see one of those two teams in the playoffs, as well. So, the number one seed, obviously it's a path to that, but it's not the one thing in our mind right now, especially not mine."
Purdy had a similar mindset on Monday, saying, "Obviously, the next challenge is like we just win one game at a time and, and try to be the best that we can going into the playoffs. And obviously, we know what's at stake with the first seed and all that, but we can't get our minds wrapped around just that. Like we have to go handle business and play a really good team in Chicago next week, coming to our place. So, we have to be locked in."
Still, after everything the 49ers have been through and the performance they put on Monday night, it's hard not to get excited about what the next two weeks will bring.
"Let's go!" Jennings said Monday when asked about the number one seed. "Turn me up. That's the type of s*** that turns me up. We've got to finish it. It's like making a good crossover and not hitting a three. We've got to finish it."
And if the 49ers wind up getting the number one seed, then the Super Bowl chatter may heat up among fans and media. It's always been something that has remained the 49ers' end game, even if it hasn't been at the forefront throughout this season.
"You play the game to win the Super Bowl, right?" Williams said. "There's no second place, there's no third place, there's no consolation prize. I think every team feels like if we can't win the Super Bowl, it's like no way I can call this season a success. Would I call it a bust? No, I wouldn't call it a bust. I think that's a harsh term. But the goal is to compete for a Super Bowl. If you're not doing that, I don't think you can accomplish the goals you set out to."
It's anyone's guess where the story of this year's team ends, but it feels like even though there are still question marks and flaws, the momentum of this team is building and the odds of their season continuing deep into January are growing. It should be fun to find out where they wind up.
"I just think we need to get to the point where we're playing the football that we know can win football games, and if we take that into the playoffs, anything can happen," Williams said.
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