SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In a league where it’s practically forbidden for players or coaches to speak about games beyond the next one on the schedule, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is usually unafraid to deviate from cliches.

On Sunday, after his team had dispatched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-14, Kittle was asked how important the Niners’ next three games — at Seattle, at Philadelphia and vs. Seattle — would be in shaping San Francisco’s NFC West division and postseason hopes.

Kittle didn’t take the bait this time, offering the standard-issue answer focused on Thanksgiving night in Seattle (8:20 p.m. ET, Lumen Field, NBC).

“Very excited about Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks,” Kittle said. “It’s going to be an exciting game and we have to go up there and get a win.”

Kittle’s response came with a knowing smile because even though he can’t say it, he knows that the next three games on San Francisco’s schedule carry more weight than the others. Not only because they are the next three, but because they will go a long way in determining the Niners’ path back to the Super Bowl.

And Kittle is far from alone in that knowledge. He shares a locker room with many players who have played in at least one NFC Championship Game and know the importance of trying to nail down a division crown, the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs.

All of that is on the table for the 7-3 Niners, which is why they offered hints of how closely they pay attention to the NFC playoff picture.

In the locker room after Sunday’s win, defensive end Nick Bosa acknowledged that he keeps tabs on the Eagles’ schedule, noting who, when and where they play. Kittle, who wouldn’t talk about anything beyond the Seahawks, gave a shoutout to the Los Angeles Rams for beating Seattle on Sunday and boosting the Niners back into sole possession of first place in the division.

“We just have to win, keep winning and hopefully everything takes care of itself because that bye week is pretty huge,” Bosa said. “November is when s— really starts.”

Indeed, there are many key Niners who know the importance of playing well this time of year. In 2019, many outside observers still questioned San Francisco despite its 8-0 start. That team embarked on a late November/early December slate against the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.

At the time, each team in that trio had a winning percentage above .800, making it the toughest three-game stretch that late in the season in NFL history. The Niners walloped the Packers, narrowly fell at Baltimore and beat the Saints in a road thriller, stamping themselves as bona fide Super Bowl contenders.

The past two seasons have provided a different test, as the Niners found themselves digging out of holes rather than validating dominance.