Kyle Shanahan is focused on the No. 1 seed now that the 49ers have clinched a postseason position.
When Giants kicker Randy Bullock’s last-second field goal sailed through the uprights at MetLife Stadium on Monday night, it did more than send the Packers to a painful defeat.
It also made the 49ers the first team to claim a place in the 2023 NFL playoffs. It is the third straight season that the 49ers have advanced to the playoffs, but head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear earlier on Monday that the team is not just looking for a spot at the dance because they want to be the main attraction.
“I’ll have a reaction when it is the No. 1 spot, if it is, because that’s when the season ends,” Shanahan said, via the 49ersWebzone.com. “Right now, it doesn’t mean much. It just means where you’re at now. And I know we won’t be that if we don’t handle business this week. So that’s really all we’re worried about this week, and then we’ll move to who we play after that.”
The 49ers moved into that No. 1 spot with their win over the Seahawks and the Eagles’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. They’ll stay there by winning out and having the NFC playoffs come through Levi’s Stadium would likely make them a sizable favorite to make the second Super Bowl appearance of Shanahan’s tenure.
49ers clinch playoff berth after Packers fall to Giants
49ers clinch playoff berth after Packers fall to Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With four weeks remaining in the 2023 NFL regular season, the 49ers clinched a playoff berth Monday night with a little help from the New York Giants.
San Francisco didn’t have to wait until Week 15 to secure a trip to the postseason as the Giants’ 24-22 win over the Green Bay Packers on “Monday Night Football” at MetLife Stadium resulted in the 49ers clinching a playoff berth.
The 49ers are the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth this season.
San Francisco improved to 10-3 on the season after its 28-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. And after the Dallas Cowboys handled business against the Philadelphia Eagles on “Sunday Night Football” with a convincing 33-13 victory, the 49ers became the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Clinchmas came early.
Tickets for a potential home playoff game will go on sale to the general public tomorrow 12/12 at 1 PM PT.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 12, 2023
The 49ers entered Week 14 with a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win against Seattle, and if the Minnesota Vikings lost, the Packers lost or either the Vikings or Packers tied.
Minnesota’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders left New York as San Francisco’s final hope to wrap up a playoff spot in Week 14 — and
