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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
At 10-3, the San Francisco 49ers are the first team this season to clinch a postseason berth and currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With runaway wins over the Dallas Cowboys (10-3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3), the 49ers hold the tiebreaker over both teams.
Three of San Francisco’s final four games are against teams with losing records, starting on Sunday with a road contest against the Arizona Cardinals (3-10). The Niners’ toughest game will be a nationally televised Christmas night contest against the Baltimore Ravens.
“The only thing we can control is coming out and playing four quarters every Sunday and let the rest take care of itself,” San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams said. “Right now, we should have blinders on and just worry about one opponent per week and focus on going 1-0.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan understands what home-field advantage would mean if the 49ers can lock that up over the next four weeks. Shanahan needs only to look back to last season, with both the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs using the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage to help them earn spots in the Super Bowl. The last time the 49ers had the No. 1 seed was in 2019, and that season they reached the Super Bowl.
But Shanahan also doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.
San Francisco’s focus this week is on beating the Cardinals. A win would seal a second straight NFC West division title for San Francisco. At 6-7, the second-place Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are four games back.
“I’ll have a reaction when it is the No. 1 spot, if it is, because that’s when the season ends,” Shanahan told reporters this week when asked about seeding. “Right now, it doesn’t mean much. It just means where you’re at now.
“I know we won’t be that if we don’t handle business this week. So that’s really all we’re worried about this week, and then we’ll move to who we play after that.”
The 49ers…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/49ers-motivation-in-final-month-secure-no-1-seed-home-field-advantage
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Publish date : 2023-12-13 22:31:30
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