The article The 49ers’ Week 18 performance is good enough to set up a playoff run in the NFL originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers’ Week 18 game did not go as planned for coach Kyle Shanahan and his team.
However, things could have gone much worse.
The 49ers’ NFC West dominance came to an end with a 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
The focus is quickly shifting to what comes next.
And for the 49ers, that means focusing on becoming a better all-around team rather than preparing for a specific opponent the following week.
“You do a little bit of self-scouting,” 49ers Pro Bowl linebacker Fred Warner said after the game on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Talk.” “You look at things that might have hurt us throughout the end of this season on either side of the ball and you focus on those things, shore up any of those little things and make sure you’re at your best when your best is needed.”
The 49ers’ top priority on Sunday was simply to be as close to full strength as possible heading into the postseason.
While the 49ers appeared to avoid major injuries, there is concern about starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who left the game after the first series with a knee injury. Ferrell appears to have avoided a major injury and will be available when the 49ers open the playoffs in two weeks.
Another source of concern is the 49ers’ loss to the Rams.
Their kicking game fell short of what should have been four easy points.
Rookie kicker Jake Moody has been mostly consistent, though he had a shaky stretch earlier in the season. He missed two field goals against the Cleveland Browns, including one in the final seconds that would have given the 49ers a victory.
In the second quarter on Sunday, his 38-yard field goal attempt sailed off the right upright. Then he failed to convert an extra-point attempt.
Moody had made 60 straight extra points. He would have become the first 49ers player to be perfect on extra points since the NFL moved the line of scrimmage on kicks to the 15-yard line if he had made one more.
Instead, his missed field goal gave the Rams a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter on a two-point conversion.
The 49ers didn’t want their rookie kicker to have any reason to be nervous heading into the playoffs, where every point could mean everything.
On Sunday, the 49ers took no chances with quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, or linebacker Dre Greenlaw. They did not dress for the game.
Many of the 49ers’ other Pro Bowl players played minor roles in Sunday’s game, as the emphasis was on putting the team in the best position to make a postseason run, which will begin either Jan. 20 or Jan. 21 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The key for the 49ers may be getting defensive tackle Arik Armstead back and performing well.
Due to foot and knee issues, Armstead missed his fifth consecutive game on Sunday. Armstead missed eight games during the regular season last year. He was extremely productive when he returned for the postseason.
He hopes to take the same path this season. And it appears that the defense could use a boost right now.
Football playoffs have an element of chance to them.
The 49ers have attempted to remove as many of those negative variables as possible. They achieved their primary regular-season goal of securing the No. 1 seed. When they return to the field, they should be as healthy as any team in the league.
Until then, there’s a lot of work to be done to get ready for what’s ahead.
“There is no seven-game series in the playoffs,” Warner explained. “You have to play your hardest for three hours straight.” And that will be our primary focus, regardless of the opponent.”
What we learned from the Niners’ regular-season finale loss to the Rams
SANTA CLARA BOX SCORE — On the final Sunday of the 2023 regular season, two NFC playoff teams met at Levi’s Stadium for a game that had a preseason feel to it, and the 49ers saw their 12-game winning streak against NFC West opponents come to an end with a 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The loss also ended the 49ers’ (12-5) nine-game regular-season winning streak against their southern neighbors.
Although the Rams’ playoff position remained uncertain entering the game, coach Sean McVay chose to rest some of his key players without much concern about whether they would enter the postseason as the NFC’s No. 6 or 7 seed next week.
With the No. 1 seed secured, the 49ers would have preferred to rest all of their key players, but due to injuries and roster constraints, coach Kyle Shanahan chose to have many of the team’s starters suit up and work up a sweat before calling on the backups.
The following are three key takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 18 game:
Looking ahead to the playoffs
The 49ers’ only real goal on Sunday was to position themselves as best as possible for the playoffs in two weeks.
Despite the fact that seven of the team’s nine Pro Bowl players dressed for the game, Shanahan wanted to get them out as soon as possible.
On defense, both teams stuck to basic game plans, and on offense, there were few shifts and motions. After all, these two teams could meet in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs in two weeks.
One source of concern from the game was rookie kicker Jake Moody, who missed a 38-yard field goal as well as an extra point. After converting 60 consecutive PATs, it was Moody’s first miss of the season.
The 49ers enter the postseason with reason to be concerned about their rookie kicker.
In addition, the 49ers had one injury concern after the game: defensive end Clelin Ferrell made his 17th start of the season, but he suffered a knee injury on the first drive, making his postseason status uncertain.
Brock Purdy, the team’s emergency quarterback, did not even suit up. He arrived four and a half hours before kickoff to get in an early morning workout.
Christian McCaffrey, the NFL’s rushing leader, was ruled out due to a mild calf strain, though he said he could have and would have played Sunday if the game meant anything. But the 49ers had already clinched the No. 1 seed, so he had no reason to play.
Ending on a cliff George Kittle and linebacker Dre Greenlaw were not among the team’s seven inactive players, but both were ruled out before the game even began. The team announced that Kittle was out due to back spasms and Greenlaw was out due to Achilles tendinitis.
Trent Williams, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl left tackle, played the first series but left after the 49ers’ 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
At the start of the 49ers’ second series, Jaylon Moore took over at left tackle.
Darnold makes his 49ers debut.
Quarterback Sam Darnold made his 56th NFL start, and his first as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
He completed 16 of 26 pass attempts for 189 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions on the day. The 49ers led 20-7 at halftime thanks to Darnold’s 5-yard touchdown pass to rookie Ronnie Bell.
He also had a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown.
Darnold looked strong in his first extended run with Shanahan’s offense. Brock Purdy’s availability for the start of the regular season after undergoing elbow surgery was unknown when Darnold signed with the 49ers in March.
Darnold beat out Trey Lance for the backup job, prompting the former No. 3 overall draft pick to be traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Purdy never gave Darnold a chance to play, as the second-year pro started the first 16 games and played at an MVP level for the majority of the season. Purdy set a franchise record with 4,280 yards passing, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His 113.0 passer rating was the highest in 49ers history for a single season.
Darnold agreed to a $300,000 bonus as part of his incentive-laden contract if he appeared in 25 percent or more of the team’s offensive snaps in a 49ers victory.
The chance to shine
Tayler Hawkins, a first-year safety who spent the previous two seasons on the 49ers’ practice squad, was promoted to the active roster on Saturday. In the second quarter, he made his first career interception when Carson Wentz’s pass deflected off the hands of Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell.
Hawkins was called upon because starting safeties Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown were injured. Along with Hawkins, veteran Logan Ryan got the start.
The 49ers lost All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga to a torn ACL earlier this season, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the summer of 2024.
Hawkins was called upon because starting safeties Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown were injured. Along with Hawkins, veteran Logan Ryan got the start.
The 49ers lost All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga to a torn ACL earlier this season, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the summer of 2024.
Hawkins was called upon due to injuries to starting safeties Tashaun Gipson and Ji’Ayir Brown. Logan Ryan, a veteran, started alongside Hawkins.
The 49ers lost All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga earlier this season due to a torn ACL, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in the summer of 2024.
End of the defensive line Robert Beal, a fifth-round pick out of Georgia, saw the most action of his rookie season. Beal recorded his first career sack after appearing in only three previous games and 15 defensive snaps.
Josh Harris is on the trail of Bill Belichick.
It goes without saying that a housecleaning is highly anticipated in Washington. What will new owner Josh Harris do next is the question.
Harris could go after Bill Belichick.
According to a league source, Harris is intrigued by the prospect of Belichick coaching the Commanders. The question is whether Harris would give Belichick complete control over personnel — and whether Belichick would consider the lack of final say over the roster and draft to be a deal breaker.
Of course, the first question is whether Belichick will be available at all. That remains to be seen.
It’s possible that Belichick will remain with the Patriots. If Harris wants Belichick and Belichick wants to coach the Commanders, a de facto trade may be necessary. (In October, we learned of a rumor linking Belichick to the Commanders in trade.)
A clean break is the most likely end game in New England, if things are indeed ending, of all current potential outcomes (as I’ll explain in a subsequent item). Harris would then have a clear shot at Belichick.
Beyond whether Belichick would insist on complete control of football operations, there’s the question of whether he’d want the job. The franchise has a rich history and tradition, and it is close to his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. Some believe he will not venture far from the eastern part of the country.
However, building things in D.C. may take some time. If a playoff team that loses in the wild-card round (or in the divisional round) decides to pursue Belichick (we’ve previously linked Belichick to Dallas, if a Mike McCarthy gaffe ends the latest pursuit of gloryhole), he may be more drawn to a place where the table is already set for winning.
While much remains to be determined, here is the current state of affairs: Harris is interested in Belichick as a coach but not as a general manager. Where it goes from here will be part of the rollercoaster ride that begins tonight when teams part ways with current coaches.
