49ers get deserved, needed rest time
How much better are the 49ers than the rest of the NFC? So much better that they didn't need the full 17game schedule to clinch the conference's top playoff seed.
The 49ers, by pairing their 27-10 win over Washington with an improbable Arizona victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs Sunday, giving them home-field advantage up to the Super Bowl and a coveted playoff bye week.
Oh, and by clinching the top seed with a week of the regular season still to be played, the Niners (12-4) effectively picked up another bye week in the process. Their game next Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
That's not a bad way to end the year. It's also downright domination over the competition — the kind that, even with all his success, we haven't seen in Kyle Shanahan's seven years as the 49ers' head coach.
Sure, there was a bit of luck involved in the process.
The 49ers huddled in front of cell phones and a small TV in the corner of the visitor's locker room in Washington to watch the Arizona Cardinals, a 13-point underdog, drive down the field in the final minutes to beat Philadelphia, the one team that could have taken the top seed from the Niners in the final week.
“Thank you, Cardinals,” Niners linebacker Fred Warner said, grinning from ear to ear.
The next two weeks will be a well-deserved — and muchneeded — rest for the Niners.
Like any team that has played professional football for 17 weeks, the Niners' roster is rife with bruises, scrapes, sprains, strains, and general pains. They
even picked up a few more in Washington, with star running back and MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey injuring his right calf and missing most of the second half.
Every team in the league could use a break. The Niners need the time off more than most.
San Francisco has the best roster in the NFL, but it's heavy at the top. NFL teams love to ascribe to a “next-man-up” mentality, but the Niners are realistic — they know they need their stars on the field to win the Super Bowl.
These next two weeks will give them a great chance at having just that.
McCaffrey's injury is unlikely to prove problematic with the Niners not playing another meaningful game until the weekend of Jan. 20-21.
The break gives left tackle Trent Williams, who pushed through a groin injury to play in Washington, plenty of time to get right.
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who has missed the last four games with a foot injury, should be back for the playoffs, too. His absence has been glaring.
And Brock Purdy, who suffered a shoulder stinger in back-to-back games coming into this week, can give that injury some time now, too.
“Guys had to push through it at a number of spots. Hopefully, this will help them out,” Shanahan said.
Of course, with all good things, there is a downside.
The Niners need to figure out the appropriate way to handle this final regular-season game against the Rams (9-7).
“We'll definitely try to rest some guys. But you can't rest everybody,” Shanahan said. “You don't have enough players.”
Indeed, like every other contest, the Niners can only make seven players inactive for the next Sunday's game. Expect Williams and McCaffrey to be on that list.
But just because stars like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Fred Warner haven't been on the Niners' injury report lately doesn't mean they couldn't use some rest, either.
Ultimately, some starters are going to need to play. The Niners will have 45 active non-specialist players for a game where 22 players must be on the field. Figuring out a way to keep those starters healthy while still having them play in an NFL game will undoubtedly steal some hours of sleep from coaches this week.
The Niners must also deduce how to best prepare themselves for postseason play. With at least 19 days between Sunday's win and the next game with stakes, “rust” will be the buzzword of the month in Santa Clara.
The Niners are fortunate, though — who better for Purdy and the offense to prepare against than the 49ers' defense, and vice versa?
“We're going to have a big week of practice,” Shanahan said. “We'll figure out our roster as the week goes and figure out our roster for Sunday.”
“We gotta make sure we're our best when our best is needed,” Warner said.
That ample meantime is a good time to reflect.
The last time the Niners were in a position to take the NFC's top seed, back in 2019, they needed every second and inch of the field to clinch it. Dre Greenlaw's fourth-down tackle at the goal line in Seattle will be remembered forever.
Sunday's win will ultimately be forgettable, save for what it accomplished.
The 2019 Niners team that pushed it to the limit in the regular season made it to the Super Bowl.
This team is appreciably better. The 49ers should have no excuse not to be at their best when that first playoff game finally comes to town.