The San Francisco 49ers are facing intense pressure as they head into their Week 6 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. With a disappointing 2-3 record, the team is well aware that a loss would put them in a precarious position in the NFC West.
Defensive end Nick Bosa acknowledged the weight of the game, saying, “It’s a lot of pressure… We’re treating it like a must-win.” The 49ers have already squandered double-digit leads in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, and a loss to the Seahawks would put them three games back in the division.
However, a win would propel the 49ers to 3-3 and tie them with Seattle atop the division, with the added bonus of holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. Tight end George Kittle emphasized the importance of the game, saying, “I’ve been told that if we win this one, we’re leading our division… I don’t really want to be 2-4 and being 3-3 is significantly better than that.”
The game takes on added significance given the injuries plaguing both teams. The 49ers will be without safety Talanoa Hufanga, who tore ligaments in his wrist, and kicker Jake Moody, who has a high ankle sprain. Rookie Malik Mustapha will step in for Hufanga, while Matthew Wright was signed to replace Moody.
Despite the challenges, the 49ers are drawing inspiration from their past experiences. In 2021, they started 3-5 before finishing 7-2 and reaching the NFC Championship Game, and in 2022, they began 3-4 before rattling off 10 straight wins to again reach the NFC title round. Team captain Fred Warner expressed confidence in his teammates, saying, “I’m kind of at the point where it’s like, I mean the circumstances is what it is… If I have to give some sort of grandiose speech to get you going for this moment, we probably don’t have the right guys.”
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