After wrapping up a 12-5 record in the regular season and the top seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers are ready to make another attempt at winning their sixth Super Bowl championship.
They have reached the NFC Championship Game in three of the previous four seasons, which also included a Super Bowl appearance, but they were unable to bring home the big piece of hardware.
By finishing first in their conference, the 49ers earned themselves a bye, which will allow them to be fully prepared for the playoffs, and per Nick Wagoner, they should also be very healthy for their postseason opener.
All things considered, with the exception of DE Clelin Ferrell (knee), the #49ers are shaping up to be about as healthy as possible for the NFC divisional round.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) January 9, 2024
San Francisco ended the regular season with a loss to the rival Los Angeles Rams, although most of their key players either sat out or barely played.
It was a banner 2023 for them, as second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, the last player taken in the 2022 draft, threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns while leading the league in passer rating and QBR, and four of his teammates had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
In particular, running back Christian McCaffrey was dominant with 1,459 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, and seven receiving touchdowns, which has made him a strong favorite to win the Offensive Player of the Year award.
The playoffs will be a proving ground not only for the 49ers as a whole, but also for Purdy, who still has something to prove in terms of his ability to deliver wins in pressure situations.
Given their iconic history and all the talent they possess on both sides of the football, anything less than a world championship will be considered a failure for them.
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