49ers try to clinch playoff spot in Week 14 against Seahawks
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The race for the no. 1 seed in the NFC continues to tighten as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
The Niners find themselves in a familiar spot after posting a dominant victory against a fellow NFC powerhouse with last Sunday's big win at Philadelphia.
Now the hope for the Niners (9-3) is that they avoid falling into a familiar trap after that win and avoid the three-game losing streak they endured in October after a similar victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
"When you’re a really good team, these are the types of weeks where you have to not fall into the trap of feeling good about yourself and and come out and take it to another notch," defensive end Nick Bosa said. "If we can do that, then we’re exactly where we need to be."
Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Niners looked like one of the best teams in the NFL after a 42-19 win last week against the Eagles that made them the Super Bowl favorites. That’s the spot they were in after beating Dallas in Week 5, only to lose the next three games.
That prompted coach Kyle Shanahan to deliver a message about avoiding a repeat.
"I think it’s just understood, honestly," linebacker Fred Warner said. "I think it’s pretty simple, you either learn from your past mistakes or you’re going to let history repeat itself."
The Seahawks (6-6) have more pressing issues after losing three straight to fall out of playoff position. Seattle squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a Week 11 loss to the Rams, followed by losses to San Francisco and Dallas the past two Thursdays.
FAMILIAR FOE
The Niners and Seahawks will face off for the fourth time in less than a year with San Francisco winning all of those meetings.
San Francisco clinched the NFC West with a Week 15 win last season at Seattle, won a wild-card game at home last season and then won again in Seattle on Thanksgiving.
The Niners have won four straight overall in the series after losing eight of the first 10 against Seattle under Shanahan.
"They have the same benefit that we have," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "Nobody has an edge. We have a great deal of information already logged. Both teams are competing to figure out how to use that right."