49ers nightmare playoff scenario with 3 weeks left in regular season

The San Francisco 49ers are favored in their Monday Night Football game, but head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t taking the Colts’ aging quarterback for granted. And here is the 49ers nightmare playoff scenario with three weeks left in the regular season.

The 49ers got a break when the Seahawks took down the Rams in overtime on Thursday night. Since the 49ers have the Seahawks left on their schedule, and they already beat the Seahawks this year, they can win the NFC West. The 49ers would win a tiebreaker with the Rams based on better division record and a split of head-to-head games.

But let’s take a look at how things could go south in San Francisco.

49ers don’t want to fall behind the Bears in seeding

If the 49ers don’t win their division, they face a tough road to the Super Bowl. If the 49ers finish 11-6, losing to the Bears and Seahawks, they could fall all the way to the No. 7 seed.

And here’s why that would be devastating. To finish 11-6, the 49ers still likely beat the struggling Colts. But they would lose to the Bears. And if the Bears are the NFC North champions, they stand a good shot of being the No. 2 seed.

So, consider this scenario, where the 49ers lose to the Bears at home in Week 17. As the No. 7 seed and the Bears at No. 2, the 49ers would have to turn around and travel to meet the Bears in the first round of the playoffs. There’s no way they would have confidence for that tilt.

Plus, the 49ers would have to play in potentially cold weather in Chicago. That’s not a death knell, but the 49ers don’t run the ball well this year. They rank No. 25 in the NFL with 101.4 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Bears are No. 2 in the NFL with 151.9 yards rushing per contest. Imagine a windy day in Chicago, where passing is difficult. The 49ers would have their backs against the wall in such a setting.

In fact, if you look at all of the potential playoff teams, facing the Bears on a cold and windy day would probably be the worst-case scenario for the 49ers. Hence, the nightmare.

Furthermore, as the No. 7 seed, the 49ers would need three road wins to get to the Super Bowl.

49ers can’t afford to slip against Colts

It shouldn’t be surprising that Shanahan is preaching caution against the Philip Rivers-led Colts. If the 49ers lose that game, it could make their postseason road a ruinous route.

So, Shanahan praised the good traits of Rivers, according to nbcsportsbayarea.com.

“I mean, he is a little bit older. So, he might not be as fast, might not be able to throw it quite the same distance as he used to, but you don’t know that for sure because you don’t get to exactly see it on tape,” Shanahan told reporters Thursday during a press conference. “But I see a guy who knows how to play the position as good as anyone.

“Think he had 27 throws in that game [vs. Seattle], and every ball goes to the exact right spot. He attacked their coverages great. He played against a very good pass rush and was able to get rid of the ball.”

It’s not looking like a Super Bowl season for the 49ers, even though they still have an inside track for the No. 1 overall seed. If they win their last three games, their postseason projection will likely look different.

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