(Santa Clara) At this point, over the last two seasons, the 49ers of San Francisco were fighting for a better playoff spot rather than survival.
After snapping a three-game losing streak with a win last week against the Chicago Bears, the 49ers head into a Thursday night sectional showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they absolutely must win.
“I think overall as a team, everyone had a little more sense of urgency and I think we played well as a team, and we didn’t give up,” said the quarterback Brock Purdy.
“I really liked it. But that was last week, so now it’s this week we have to think about. »
After being outscored by 53 points in losses to Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive.
While some attributed the turnaround to a sense of desperation or the talk of players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else.
“We didn’t go to Green Bay and Buffalo and say, ‘Let’s just hope we win.’ Believe me, I was desperate to the highest degree before these two matches, he explained. It just didn’t work. »
Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to everyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who also had a good game last week.
They held off the Buffalo Bills 44-42 to stay one game behind the Seattle Seahawks in the NL West title race and one game ahead of the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.
Head coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat the Niners and complete the sweep this season.
“I saw they had a very dominant performance (last week),” he said. If there’s one thing you know, it’s that it’s a league that evolves from week to week.
“They have great coaches, great staff and great schemes. No matter what has really happened so far, they will be ready to play. »
