The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a devastating loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Even worse, three of their star players suffered injuries in the game and their status was questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Washington Commanders.
And despite the Commanders being a sub-par opponent, the 49ers want to be at full strength as they have a lot on the line when it comes to NFC playoff seeding.
If the 49ers win their final two regular-season games, they’re guaranteed to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and the valuable bye week that comes with it.
But why make everyone sweat it out until the final Sunday? The Faithful might not have to, if certain scenarios play out this weekend.
Should the Detroit Lions, who’ve already clinched the NFC North title, lose to the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) on Saturday night, the 49ers would enter Sunday’s schedule needing a road win over the woeful Washington Commanders (4-12) and a Philadelphia Eagles loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals (3-12) to claim the prize early and earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the postseason.
The 49ers, Eagles and Lions all own 11-4 records, but San Francisco currently holds the No. 1 seed because of tiebreakers over both Philadelphia and Detroit.
The 49ers beat the Eagles 42-19 in Week 12, but they will not play the Lions in the regular season. However, San Francisco owns a superior record in NFC games (9-1 versus 7-3), so would edge out Detroit in that case.
San Francisco 49ers Get Positive News On 3 Star Players
Earlier this week, the 49ers injury report looked grim heading into the game vs. the Washington Commanders.
While there was a bevy of key players who didn’t practice and their status remains unknown for Sunday, a few key names popped up on the “limited participation” list, including star left tackle Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel, the jack-of-all trades who could have a field day against Washington’s defense that ranks last in the league.
Here was the full list of limited participants earlier this week:
LB Oren Burks (knee)
TE Ross Dwelley (ankle)
DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring)
WR Deebo Samuel (neck)
CB Ambry Thomas (knee, hand)
LT Trent Williams (groin)
On Friday, the San Francisco 49ers got great news, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy, WR Deebo Samuel and LT Trent Williams are all off the injury report and good to go Sunday vs. Washington. DT Arik Armstead is out again.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 29, 2023
First and foremost, Brock Purdy is healthy and ready to bounce back after leaving the Ravens game with a minor injury. He threw four interceptions against the Ravens and will have a prime opportunity to rebound against one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL on Sunday in D.C.
Williams may be the most significant, as groin injuries can linger and often keep players out for extended periods of time. He’s the best left tackle in football and critical to Kyle Shanahan’s system, that uses him in a variety of ways for blocking in the running game and pass protection for Purdy.
Finally, Samuel getting cleared is a breath of fresh air. Anyone who follows the NFL understands Deebo Samuel’s value to the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite playing in only 13 games this season, the dynamic WR has 53 catches for 834 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 15.5 yards per reception. He’s added another 33 carries for 179 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Samuel’s presence on the field allows the San Francisco 49ers to use creative packages and constantly keep opposing defenses on their heels.
The health of these three players with the top spot in the NFC playoffs on the line can’t be overstated.
Armstead’s absence shouldn’t be a major factor against a struggling Commanders offense and it’s likely he will be back for the playoffs when games matter the most.