5 biggest concerns facing 49ers entering 2020 NFL playoffs
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: A Potential Let-Down Game vs. Vikings, Eagles
There’s no guarantee the 49ers wind up facing the Seahawks in the divisional round.
If the Vikings pull off their Wild Card weekend win over the No. 3 seed, the New Orleans Saints, then Minnesota would have itself a date with the Niners for the divisional round at Levi’s Stadium. Simple as that.
Even if the Vikings are eliminated, though, there’s also the chance the Eagles stage the upset and wind up traveling out west to face off against San Francisco.
On the positive side of things, the 49ers have been playing postseason-atmosphere football for the better part of two months now, going all the way back to that Week 10 Monday Night Football matchup against the Seahawks. There was the home bout against the Green Bay Packers, the No. 2 seed, shortly afterwards, followed by those road contests against the Saints and Baltimore Ravens.
Heck, even closing out the year against the Los Angeles Rams and Seahawks in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively, was a perfect warm-up for Kyle Shanahan and Co.
Yet there aren’t quite the storylines between the 49ers and Vikings or Eagles. Perhaps Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins and his ties to Shanahan, perhaps. And maybe wide receiver Jordan Matthews‘ back-and-forth trips this year between the Niners and Eagles.
Nope. Nowhere near the level as some of San Francisco’s other potential playoff matchups.
Let’s hope it doesn’t wind up turning into a sort-of-would-be-perhaps playoff-caliber trap game.