Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates with San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Chris Conley (84) after a play during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers go into the playoffs as one of the most complete teams in the NFL. The arsenal of weapons on offense paired with a stingy defense makes them very dangerous for any opponent. However, they have been here before with head coach Kyle Shanahan and come up short. Can they finally win it this year? Here is the San Francisco 49ers playoff preview.
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San Francisco 49ers Playoff Preview
The 49ers have locked up the number one overall seed in the NFC. They get the all-important bye week which is very important for this team. Health is likely the biggest issue that this team might run into so getting a week off is helpful. Shanahan has an offense of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Brock Purdy playing very well. On the other side of the ball, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner lead a scary defense. This is one of the most complete teams in the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers Playoff Preview: Why They Will Win
The number of offensive weapons is too much to handle for any team. Teams can put a stop to one or maybe two of the weapons but shutting down every facet of this offense is almost impossible. San Francisco also has the advantage of having played a lot of the current playoff teams already. They won against Dallas and Philadelphia. The Rams are their division rival and the week 18 loss when all the starters were resting doesn’t mean much.
Purdy has also played much better than his rookie season. While many will point to the injury in last year’s NFC Championship Game, Purdy was a very raw rookie. This year, he looks a lot more comfortable making plays and throwing down the field. He isn’t perfect but the stats don’t lie. Purdy is able to execute Shanahan’s offense well and he has put this team in a position to win.
San Francisco 49ers Playoff Preview: Why They Won’t Win
There are two hurdles that the 49ers might have to get over. While I just spent some time praising him, Purdy is easily rattled under pressure. He can make some very poor throws when he is pressured. In the game against the Ravens, Purdy turned the ball over four times and was under constant pressure. If a team can get a pass rush on Purdy, he is prone to mistakes.
The second is injuries. While this may be true for every other team as well, key injuries always seem to affect the 49ers more than other teams. When Deebo Samuel was out in the middle of the season, this offense wasn’t as dangerous. If McCaffrey misses any time, the offense is a completely different beast to stop. The team has to hope for good health for the next three games and they will likely be lifting the Lombardi trophy.
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Playoff X-Factor
San Francisco 49ers playoff preview X-factor: Interior Offensive Line
When writing a San Francisco 49ers playoff preview, it is hard to find many wild cards. However, the interior offensive line has been hit-and-miss this season. Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, and Spencer Burford have been underwhelming this season. While Trent Williams is one of the top offensive tackles in the league, the 49ers have been susceptible to an interior pass rush. If teams can exploit their weakness up the middle, that could rattle Purdy enough to force some mistakes.
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Fans are most likely nervously optimistic reading a San Francisco 49ers playoff preview. The team has been here before and come up short. Is this the year they finally can break the playoff curse?
