49ers mailbag: Christmas is over but Super Bowl dream remains
The 49ers may have lost big Monday night to the Ravens but their playoff outlook and long-range forecast is solid entering a New Year's Eve game at the Washington Commanders.
SANTA CLARA — George Kittle realistically and metaphorically noted after Monday night that the 49ers’ building was not on fire after Monday night’s 33-19 loss to the Ravens. Instead, the 49ers fans pulled the alarm bells for this week’s mailbag via social-media alerts:
Can Purdy win the Superbowl? (@erveliz)
First, the 49ers have to get there. Actually, first, a reminder that it’s actually called the Super Bowl (two words) and this season’s is the 58th edition (LVIII in Roman numerals). Can Brock Purdy win it? Yes, but not by himself, nor does he need to do so. The 49ers are still the NFC’s favorite. If the Ravens meet them in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, Purdy shouldn’t throw them the ball anymore.
Are we still the No. 1 seed? (@d3_2famous)
The 49ers (11-4) are still positioned atop the NFC’s playoff race with two weeks to go, by virtue of tiebreaker edges over the Detroit Lions (11-4) and the Philadelphia Eagles (11-4). In terms of the Lions, the 49ers’ conference record is 9-1, and the Lions is 7-3. As for the Eagles, the 49ers won the head-to-head matchup Dec. 3. So the 49ers will lock up the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2019 if they win Sunday at the Commanders (4-11) and a Week 18 home date with the revived Los Angeles Rams (8-7). The 49ers can not finish lower than the No. 3 seed, with whoever wins the NFC South locked in at No. 4.
At what point is CMC being overused? (@devildawg0801)
Kyle Shanahan needs to give McCaffrey a lot of chances to run the ball. (@noahdominguez49)
Why does Shanahan get away from the simple stuf, like run the ball!!!!!? (@matty__maff)
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t? McCaffrey leads all NFL rushers with 258 carries and 1,395 yards. So imagine the outrage (or just go on social media) on Monday night when, (a) he didn’t get a carry on the opening drive that ended with an end zone interception, and, (b) he remained in to play 70-of-70 snaps in a lopsided, late-December affair.
Is Trent Williams OK? (@mason_hawk21)
Aside from the obvious playoff stakes, Williams would relish playing and beating Washington in his first game there since the 49ers traded for him in 2020. His groin injury doesn’t sound or look serious, judging from how he acted after Monday night’s exit. He left after stripping the football out of the Ravens’ clutches following their fourth interception of Purdy, although officials ruled that Williams’ forced fumble came after the play was dead.
What do you think are the chances of Aiyuk being signed long term? (@abbass_h820)
His fifth-year, 2024 option got picked up in April for $14.1 million, so they aren’t in jeopardy of losing him after his second straight 1,000-yard season. Deebo Samuel’s salary shoots up to $20 million next year, $16.6 million in 2025. The 49ers must find a way to keep both receivers for a few years, for the sake of continuity under Purdy and the NFL’s second-ranked pass offense.
Does the NFL flex 49ers vs. Rams to the 5:30 p.m. game in Week 18? (@tonybagz)
It’s certainly enticing if the 49ers need to win for the No. 1 seed, if the Rams still need a win for a wild-card spot, and if Matthew Stafford doing the latter helps his old team, the Detroit Lions, backdoor into the No. 1 seed.
Other Week 18 matchups that, for now, are rich with intrigue: Bills (9-6) at Dolphins (11-4), Falcons (7-8) at Saints (7-8), and, Texans (8-7) at Colts (8-7). But Week 17 results will factor into which playoff seed or berths are still at stake, so keep an eye this weekend on Bucs (8-7) at Saints (7-8), and, of course, Rams at Giants (5-10).
When the 49ers won the 2019 regular-season finale at Seattle, that clinched the NFC West AND the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the 49ers, with the Seahawks taking the No. 5 seed. This matchup