The San Francisco 49ers held off the Chicago Bears 42-38 on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium, keeping their push for the NFC's No. 1 seed alive. The win sets up a high-stakes Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, where the NFC West title, the conference's top seed, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs are on the line.
Despite a season filled with injuries, the 49ers have positioned themselves to control their postseason path—something no one in the locker room takes lightly.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan shared his message to the team after the win.
"We've earned this," Shanahan said. "This is the game that we want. We love that it's here. We'd love an opportunity to never leave here again this year, and we've got that opportunity Saturday night."
Earning the No. 1 seed wouldn't just bring home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. It could mean playing every remaining game through Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium, since the Bay Area will host the NFL title game.
Running back Christian McCaffrey stressed the urgency ahead.
"We know what's at stake right now, and so, we've got to have a great week of prep and get ready to go," McCaffrey said.
Quarterback Brock Purdy echoed that sentiment, noting that while the opportunity is significant, the team's mindset remains unchanged.
"Obviously, we're thankful to be in this position," Purdy said. "But I've said this before: it's just been one of those kind of years where you have to focus on just the next day, the next man up, finding a way to win each Sunday. And then, at the end, you can look up and see where you're at.
"And so for us to be in this position is really cool. We're all grateful for it, but at the same time, we have to go do something about it. We've got to watch the film, get better, and go execute and win."
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk added, "It's been a special season already, and one that I definitely don't take for granted. But we're not done. And I have all the confidence in the world that we can get this thing done."
Shanahan praised his roster for how they've handled adversity and earned a chance to do something special next week and in the postseason.
"I'm so proud of the guys, throughout the whole year, proud of them today," Shanahan said. "It's a hell of a deal being able to have the opportunity to play for the one seed, and these guys have earned it.
"So we've got to go to bed early and get ready to come back because we found out it's Saturday, so it's going to happen soon."
As for the upcoming matchup against the Seahawks, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir didn't hold back, saying, "They know what time it is. I ain't gotta say too much."
49ers injury updates
After the game, Shanahan provided the latest injury news.
- LT Trent Williams suffered a hamstring injury on the first offensive play of the game and did not return.
- CB Upton Stout sustained a concussion in the third quarter and did not return.
- DE Keion White suffered a groin injury and did not return.
Williams' status will undoubtedly be a big storyline this week. Shanahan was not yet aware of the severity of the offensive lineman's injury.
"He tried to go, and he couldn't," Shanahan said. "Trent told me he's never pulled a hamstring before, so I'm not really sure how it'll be."
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