Streaking 49ers stay hot as they punch their playoff ticket

The 49ers have clinched the NFC West to earn a spot in the NFL playoffs, but can they keep up the momentum over these final three weeks?

The San Francisco 49ers remain one of the league’s hottest teams as of late as they look to push what’s been a winning streak that extended to seven games now after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 on Thursday Night Football.

As a complete unit, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad has been extremely impressive during this recent run, and the streaking Niners stay hot as they punch their playoff ticket with an NFC West title now in the bag.

Not to be outdone by any stretch of the imagination, but the offense has ramped it up as well.  This group has been averaging a little more than 25 points per game during the streak with far fewer turnovers than the opposition. Protecting the ball is a huge point of emphasis for Shanahan, of course, and it seems like players are doing their best to oblige. With just three turnovers since Week 8, it demonstrates the heightened focus and shows how the Niners are playing with more offensive fluidity.

Despite losing veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s basically been the team’s field general since late 2017, San Francisco hasn’t lost a step yet.

There’s no time to sulk about injuries or Plan C, however, as it’s pretty much a “next man up” philosophy, and the name in question has been filling in quite nicely.

That next man, of course, is none other than rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy.

Although Purdy has been balling out for the injured Garoppolo, winning both of his starts over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then the Seahawks, we’ve reached a pivotal point of the season where consistency must be established from game to game.

The 49ers have a golden opportunity to cement their legacy in 2022, but they must complete the task at hand. With that Week 15 win over Seattle, San Francisco has officially clinched a playoff berth and will be looking to make a strong push toward the quest for a sixth Lombardi Trophy. The 49ers are in a prime position to do exactly that with strengths up and down the roster, even though Purdy remains the biggest unknown wild card despite playing well as of late.

The Niners may have suffered quarterbacking losses, but they still find themselves right in the thick of things as the postseason approaches.