49ers treating Seahawks showdown as must-win even if it’s not originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – It’s still too early in the 2024 NFL season to label a game as a must-win, although Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks is as close at it gets for the slumping 49ers.
A win at Lumen Field in front of a national television audience certainly would cure a lot of ailments and bring some calm to a rattled fan base that has been shaken by the sudden vulnerability of the franchise.
At the very least, the 49ers can move into a first-place tie in the NFC West by beating the Seahawks. Both teams would be tied at 3-3, with San Francisco gaining the tie-breaking advantage for now. If Arizona beats Green Bay, the Cardinals would also be 3-3 and have the mathematical lead based on their win over the 49ers last week.
“Everything’s in front of us and I’m excited to right the ship,” edge rusher Nick Bosa said Tuesday while speaking to reporters in front of his locker at Levi’s Stadium. “It’s a lot of pressure. It’s not a must-win because, I’m stealing (head coach Kyle Shanahan’s) team meeting thing, because technically the season’s over if it’s a must-win. But definitely feels like we’re treating it that way.”
With nearly three months of games left in the regular season, it would be foolish to say that any game at this point is a must-win. But considering the way that things have played out for San Francisco thus far, every game has now become more significant.
When asked his thoughts on what Bosa said, tight end George Kittle seemed to agree that Thursday is not necessarily a must-win game but definitely one that the 49ers need to right the ship.
“Nick is pretty wise for his age, so yeah, I’ll give him that,” Kittle said. “I don’t really want to be 2-4, and being 3-3 is significantly better than that.”
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