Niner Noise
FanSided

5 games the 49ers must win in 2019 to make the playoffs

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER Carlos Rogers #22 of the San Francisco 49ers tackles Chris Ogbonnaya #25 of the Cleveland Browns at Candlestick Park on October 30, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER Carlos Rogers #22 of the San Francisco 49ers tackles Chris Ogbonnaya #25 of the Cleveland Browns at Candlestick Park on October 30, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 02: Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers attempts to tackle former teammate Doug Baldwin #89 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 02: Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers attempts to tackle former teammate Doug Baldwin #89 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Week 17 @ Seattle Seahawks

The No. 3 must-win game on the 49ers NFL schedule this season should be pretty important.

There are so many factors and X-factors yet to be determined, yes. But this final regular-season game against the Seahawks matters for a lot of those would-be scenarios.

First, the Niners haven’t managed to win in Seattle since Alex Smith was quarterback back in 2011. While the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry looks nothing like it did a few short years ago, it’s time for that sad streak to finally come to an end.

Rivalries aside, Week 17 makes sense as a must-win contest for the obvious reason: It may very well be the determining factor in any San Francisco playoff push.

It’s very possible both the Seahawks and Niners are vying for a playoff berth by the time Week 17 rolls around. Perhaps a Wild Card spot, maybe even the division crown.

If the 49ers want to make the postseason, having to do so in a win-or-go-home scenario against a divisional foe — and with the backdrop of a long, long losing streak on the road — seems to be the perfect contest to do so.