Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers are just three weeks away from the postseason, with the chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win over the Indianapolis Colts.
At 10-4, the 49ers have well exceeded expectations this season, especially with the injuries they’ve faced. But, the job isn’t done. San Francisco still has a chance to win the division and take the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but it has three playoff contenders ahead of it with the Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks to end the season.
Earlier this week, I highlighted the path for San Francisco to get the No. 1 seed, which involves the Los Angeles Rams losing a game (most likely to the Seahawks on Thursday) and the 49ers winning out (including beating the Seahawks in Week 18).
But, looking back at the path, I found myself thinking back to 2019, when the 49ers went from 4-12 to first in the division, getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a Week 18 win over the Seahawks.
Now, these two teams are pretty different. That 2019 squad thrived on the run game and play-action, while being spearheaded by an elite defense, thanks to a strong front seven.
This 49ers team is more about the team’s passing game and offense through the air, as the run game has been inefficient this year, and the defense has been battered with injuries.
But, both teams dealt with an ugly season the year before due to injuries. The 49ers lost Jimmy Garoppolo to a torn ACL in 2018, which led them to a 4-12 record and earned the No. 2 pick (turned out to be Nick Bosa). Last year, San Francisco lost Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga, and Trent Williams for extended parts of the season.
And they both ended up competing for the No. 1 seed in a competitive conference the year after. In 2019, San Francisco was dealing with the Seattle Seahawks (finished 11-5) and the Los Angeles Rams (finished 9-7). This year, the 49ers have both the Seahawks (11-3) and the Rams (11-3) ahead of them.
Should Seattle beat Los Angeles on Thursday, the Seahawks would jump to first in the division, while San Francisco would move up to fifth in the NFC.
That could set up a Week 18 showdown for the division title in primetime if both the 49ers and Seahawks run the table until then. Sounds pretty similar to San Francisco’s 26-21 win over Seattle in Week 18 to win the division back in 2019.
But, it also goes beyond the results on the field and the path to the division title. That 2019 team was one that far exceeded expectations after five straight years without a winning record. When you think about this current 49ers team, the main phrase you think about: exceeding expectations.
The 49ers shouldn’t be this good with the flurry of major injuries they’ve faced this year. Their identity is much different than in...
