Niners Bulletin: A heartfelt thank you to Seattle, and the weight of controlling your own destiny

The Niners got an early Christmas gift on Thursday night. It came from an atypical source, the division rival Seattle Seahawks. Seattle stormed back in the fourth quarter on Thursday Night Football, rallying from 16 points down to force overtime and eventually win on a dramatic two point conversion after each team found the end zone in the extra period. 

For once, and perhaps sheepishly, the 49er Faithful rejoiced at the sight of a dramatic Seahawks victory. The Seattle win has carved a path for San Francisco to win the final three games of the regular season and somehow snatch the NFC West title and even more improbably, the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed. In a season ravaged with injuries and personnel controversy, the Niners find themselves in the open field with three games to play. 

Controlling your own destiny is all well and good, but that simple phrase “win the final three games of the regular season” is much easier said than done. None of SF’s final three can be chalked into the win column in advance. On paper, the Niners should beat the Colts and Bears, but even then, taking on the presumed division leaders in Week 18 at Levi’s will be a massive task. 

The 49ers’ remarkable contention is now under the microscope. Here’s how their chances at the division, No. 1 seed, and Wild Card stack up. 

The Rams will likely win their last two contests against the Falcons and Cardinals. The Seahawks take on Carolina before traveling to the Bay Area for what could very well be the Sunday Night Football week 18 showcase. If both teams take care of business, the winner of that finale would own the NFC’s easiest path to the Super Bowl. 

ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt joined Murph & Markus Friday morning. He noted how remarkable the resilience of this year’s 49ers team has been, and that their candidacy for the No. 1 seed would be a huge topic of conversation on ESPN’s Monday Night Football countdown in Indianapolis. 

Van Pelt was also asked about the national perception of Kyle Shanahan. A coach widely considered to be one of the league’sbest football minds of a generation, a nagging inability to lift the Lombardi has muddied his legacy. There should be no debate, however, about where Shanahan stands in the current crop of head coaches. Van Pelt won’t hear a word of slander thrown at the Niners’ head coach.