The San Francisco 49ers did the rest of the teams in the NFC a favor in taking out the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in the NFC wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
The Eagles haven’t looked nearly as impressive this season as they did last year when they went 14-3, won the NFC East, and dominated the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs to win their second Super Bowl championship.
With the No. 7 seeded Green Bay Packers losing on Saturday to the second-seeded Chicago Bears, the 49ers learned their playoff fate the night before. Already knowing the who, the team found out the when shortly after the second-seeded New England Patriots topped the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC bracket in Sunday’s late game.
When is the 49ers-Seahawks Playoff Matchup?
GettyThe Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will meet for a third time this season in the playoffs
The NFL schedule makers did the 49ers no favors ahead of their divisional-round matchup against the well-rested NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks.
With the banged-up 49ers playing on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahana admitted he crossed his fingers the league would make next week’s matchup in Seattle a Sunday game.
“Very strongly,” Shanahan said of how much he would rather have a Sunday game instead of a short week next week. “But I’m expecting it to be Saturday. Hopefully if the NFL is cool and understanding, they’ll make it Sunday.”
But when the dates were announced for the divisional-round games, it was clear the league didn’t listen to Shanahan’s plea as the 49ers-Seahawks game will be on Saturday at either 4:30 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. ET.
The rest of the NFL playoff schedule is below:
Jan. 12: Texans vs. Steelers, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
Jan. 17: Bills vs. Broncos OR 49ers vs. Seahawks, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBA
Jan. 17: Bills vs. Broncos OR 49ers vs. Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET, TBA
Jan. 18: Rams vs. Bears OR Steelers/Texans vs. Patriots, 3 p.m. ET, TBA
Jan. 18: Rams vs. Bears OR Steelers/Texans vs. Patriots, 6:30 p.m. ET, TBA
Jan. 25: AFC Championship Game, 3 p.m. ET, CBS
Jan. 25: NFC Championship Game, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox
Feb. 8: Super Bowl, 6:30 p.m. ET, NBC
49ers to be Shorthanded for Seahawks Trilogy
GettySan Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle
In addition to disadvantage the 49ers are already at with the Seahawks coming off a full week of rest, San Francisco is also limping into the game beat up from Sunday’s war with the Eagles.
Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle went down with an Achilles injury, which Shanahan confirmed after the game that will knock him out for the rest of the postseason.
“The trainers knew before the cart came out and got word to me in the headset. Yes, a torn Achilles,” Shanahan told reporters after the game.
In addition to Kittle, the 49ers are already without star defensive players Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, who both suffered season-ending injuries early in the year. Though Warner has expressed hope he can play again if the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco was also without 2024 first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, leading and second-leading tacklers Dee Winter and Tatum Bethune, respectively, and linebacker Luke Gifford, WR Jordan Watkins, cornerback Chase Lucas, running back Isaac Gurendo, and defensive tackle Kevin Givens on Sunday.
It’s possible some, or all, could be out again against Seattle with the short week.
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