Are the 49ers About to Catch Fire?
By Darragh Holland
It's quickly becoming that time of the year again where games take on that playoff feel.
Any team in and about the playoff mix only needs 2-3 wins in a row to build some serious momentum and then anything can happen in the playoffs as we have seen many times over the years, especially with the New York Giants.
After having an injury ravaged season, the 49ers came out on Sunday and managed to get the win against the division leading Los Angeles Rams as time expired in Week 12.
While the game had its ups and downs, and the 49ers have plenty to improve on, this is a team that came very close to winning last year's Super Bowl and Kyle Shanahan has proved himself as a top quality coach.
In Week 13 the 49ers have a game that could very well define how the rest of their season plays out as they play the Buffalo Bills in Arizona , a game that is also getting primetime viewing on Monday night football.
A win here will move the 49ers to a 6-6 record with games against Washington and Dallas to come in the following two weeks.
Robbie Gould nailed a 44 yard field goal with 4 seconds left to beat the Rams. (Harry How/Getty Images)
So with a win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, the 49ers could very easily be sitting at an 8-6 record having won four games in a row while also getting key players back from injury.
The team will then finish off their schedule with two big divisional games against the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks to possibly get themselves into the postseason.
The talk in this division all season has been about the Rams, Cardinals and Seahawks but just when you think one team is going to push on and claim this division, that team has a poor performance and leaves the door wide open once again.
After their win in Week 12 against the Rams, the door is now wide open once again for the 49ers to put together a late season run to claim the division for themselves or at the very least get a Wild Card spot.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7-5 are the only other team in any NFC division fighting for a Wild Card spot with a winning record. Every single team in the NFC West still has a lot to play for as the season winds down.
While the Buffalo Bills are currently sitting at 8-3, they are still far from convincing the league that they are a top team in the AFC.
After this game, the Bills have the Pittsburgh Steelers and then the Denver Broncos before finishing out against two division rivals in the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. With the Patriots playing the Los Angeles Chargers and the Dolphins playing the Cincinnati Bengals this weekend, the pressure is still on the Bills to keep winning, especially against the 49ers.
The big question for the 49ers is if Nick Mullens can at least become a “ball control” quarterback and let the defense and running game do the heavy lifting.
Mullens went 24/35 for 252 yards and one interception on Sunday and did show some signs of progress as Deebo Samuel helped him out in his first game back in a while with 133 yards against the Rams.
As there is no definite date for Jimmy Garoppolo to come back from injury, it looks as though Mullens will be keeping his job for the important stretch of the season. As Mullens gets more game time, he should be able to improve week on week.
With 115 yards on the ground Sunday gained by four different players (Raheem Mostert & Jeff Wilson accounting for 43 yards each), the running game is solid, if not spectacular.
The defense came up with four turnovers including a pick-six and an interception from a returning Richard Sherman to announce his comeback.
Overall, the 49ers are far from the complete package but we do know that they have it in them to bring it all together.A win on Monday night might just set up the 49er steam train for a January playoff run and with no other spectacular teams in the NFC this season, this train might just go all the way.
Darragh is a sports writer for La Tonique Media.
