Multiple members of the San Francisco 49ers have acknowledged the stakes of their Thursday night showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said the team is treating it like a must-win game. Defensive end Nick Bosa echoed those sentiments. Linebacker Fred Warner didn’t mince words when he talked about what’s on the line for the 49ers on Thursday at Lumen Field.
It sounds melodramatic given that the club is only entering Week 6, and that a large swath of the roster’s key players were on the roster just three seasons ago when they got off to a 3-5 start.
This year is different, though, and the uptick urgency is being reflected by players in media settings.
It is true that a loss Thursday, which drops the 49ers to 2-4 overall, 0-3 in the NFC West and 0-4 in the NFC, wouldn’t end their season. They could mathematically win 11 straight games to go 13-4.
That’s an unrealistic expectation, which brings the ‘must-win’ phrasing into the picture.
San Francisco has Super Bowl aspirations. In the era of the 14-team playoff where only the No. 1 seed gets a bye week, that No. 1 seed is crucial. The advanced age of the 49ers’ roster and the spate of extra games they’ve played over the last five years because of four deep playoff runs makes the bye week an even greater necessity.
Their margin for error on potentially securing a No. 1 seed was ostensibly lit on fire when the team blew 10-point fourth-quarter leads against the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals. They need to start racking up wins, and it has to start Thursday in Seattle, especially with dates against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys looming.
If the 49ers win Thursday, things will feel more stable for them heading into their final two games before their bye.
If the 49ers lose Thursday, the one seed, and with it a potential Super Bowl run, may fall entirely out of reach.
