SANTA CLARA — The 49ers got a good look at what may be their biggest threat in the divisional round Sunday and not because the Los Angeles Rams snapped the 49ers’ nine-game regular-season win streak in their NFC West rivalry.
In beating the 49ers 21-20 at Levi’s Stadium, the Rams (10-7) earned a No. 6 seed and an intriguing date in Detroit (12-5, No. 3 seed) in the wild-card round next Sunday night. The 49ers, the No. 1 seed at 12-5, will get a week to recuperate and prepare for a potential rematch against Los Angeles.
The 49ers will be paying attention to that game and two others: No. 7 Green Bay (9-8) at No. 2 Dallas (12-5) on Sunday afternoon and No. 5 Philadelphia (11-6) at No. 4 Tampa Bay on Monday night.
Since teams are reseeded after every round, that means the 49ers can’t play the Cowboys or Lions, but the other four teams are all possibilities on either Jan. 20 or 21 at Levi’s Stadium.
Coaches will begin preliminary work on all four — three of whom they’ve already beaten this season. The Packers are the only one the 49ers have not played.
“We’ll dabble in it all,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ve got to do something with that stuff. We won’t go crazy as coaches. We’ll definitely plan for all the possibilities and be halfway on a bunch and as soon as we get told we’ll be 100 percent in.”
The players are a different story. For the most part, they’ll be concentrating on the team that lost a meaningless game in Week 18 to the Rams.
“Truthfully, I feel like this is just going to be a great week for us to just get better, make sure we’re the best version of ourselves for whoever has to come to Levi’s,” linebacker Fred Warner said.
Left tackle Trent Williams, in his 13th season, has enough intel simply through experience.
“We know who comes with what,” Williams said. “That’s just about being in the league for as long as I have. At this point, you can drive yourself crazy thinking about who you’ll play next. I don’t think that should be our worry these six or seven days. We should worry about getting out there, running around, getting each other better.”
Right tackle Colton McKivitz looks forward to watching the next opponent expend itself while the 49ers get their minds and bodies right.
“I think this team’s mindset is it really doesn’t matter who it is,” McKivitz said. “They’re in the way of our ultimate goal and that’s just how it’s going to be. It’s not going to be a true bye week so we’re going to keep everyone sharp. The thing is, we’ll have an edge on the other guys who are playing. The physicality and tough games are going to take a toll on somebody and we get to sit back and watch.”
Let’s rank which teams would be the toughest draws for the 49ers in the divisional round:
1. L.A. Rams (10-7, No. 6 seed)
Result vs. 49ers: Lost 30-23 in Week 2 at SoFi Stadium, won 21-20 in Week 18 at Levi’s Stadium
The challenge: Forget what happened Sunday. Those weren’t the real Rams or the real 49ers. Not when the Rams went without quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kyren Williams, wide receiver Cooper Kupp starting tackle Joe Noteboom, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and inside linebacker Ernest Jones.
At one point the Rams were 3-6, then they won six of seven before Sunday’s win put them at No. 6 and will pit former Rams quarterback Jared Goff of the Lions against former Lions quarterback Stafford. In those seven games, Stafford has completed 65.8 percent of his passes (160-for-243) for 1,895 yards, 16 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 104.5 passer rating.
Williams changed the Rams rushing attack when he came back from four weeks on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Williams has rushed for 688 yards and a 4.3 yards per carry average and six touchdowns in his last six games.
The Rams are the hottest team in the NFC outside of the 49ers, and maybe the best.
Last week, Shanahan said Stafford “is as good as anyone that I’ve ever studied,” called the Rams’ running game “one of the best in the league” and called Donald a “generational player.”
That gives them a chance to be just as dangerous as anyone in this league.
How it would happen: The Rams beat Detroit and Green Bay loses to Dallas
2. Green Bay (9-8, No. 7 seed)
Result vs. 49ers: Did not play in 2023
The challenge: Like the Rams, Green Bay was 3-6 and nearly out of the playoff picture. But the Packers rallied behind the play of second-year quarterback Jordan Love.
Love thrived despite a green corps of wide receivers and you can make the argument that in his last seven games, he’s doing his best to become a worthy successor to a quarterback line that included Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers since 1992.
In his last eight games, Love has passed for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception, has completed 69.8 percent of his passes and has a 112.0 passer rating.
Although the Packers didn’t play the 49ers, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur and Shanahan go way back and were on the same Washington staff that also included the Rams’ Sean McVay. They have similar offensive philosophies and systems.
A young Green Bay defense can generate pressure up front with Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark.
How it would happen: Green Bay beats Dallas and Detroit beats the Rams
3. Philadelphia (11-6, No. 5 seed)
Result vs. 49ers: Lost 42-19 in Week 13 at Lincoln Financial Field
The challenge: The Eagles were 10-1 until they were blown out by the 49ers in Philadelphia, and their season has gone off the rails ever since.
A 27-10 loss to a Giants team that finished 6-11 completed the regular-season nose dive. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was pulled from the defeat because of a finger injury and replaced by backup Marcus Mariota.
During the course of their 1-5 finish, coach Nick Sirianni yanked the play-calling duties from Sean Desai and gave them to Matt Patricia. Wide receiver A.J. Brown called a players-only meeting this week — never a good sign — that apparently did no good.
But keep in mind that the Eagles still have a lot of players from the team that won the NFC Championship a year ago and if they face the 49ers, it means they won a playoff game and are presumably dangerous again.
How it would happen: Eagles defeat Tampa Bay, Dallas beats Green Bay and Detroit beats the Rams
4. Tampa Bay (9-8, No. 4 seed)
Result vs. 49ers: Lost 27-14 at Levi’s Stadium in Week 11
The challenge: Overconfidence? The NFC South was the worst division in the NFL and someone had to win it. Judging from the Buccaneers’ 9-0 win Sunday over hapless Carolina to clinch the division title and a 48-17 win by New Orleans over Atlanta, you could make the case that the Saints (also 9-8) are playing the best football in the division.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has had some good moments this season but went into the Carolina game with a rib injury, was limping at the finish, and the Bucs managed only three field goals against the worst team in the NFL. Purdy didn’t go downfield much against the Panthers, going 20-of-32 for 137 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Purdy’s first NFL win as a starter in 2022 was 35-7 against the Bucs at Levi’s. This season, Purdy was 21 of 25 for 333 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
How it would happen: Bucs defeat Philadelphia, Dallas beats Green Bay, and Detroit beats the Rams