SEATTLE -- The San Francisco 49ers, after three straight NFC title game appearances, entered this season as a sexy pick to finally break through and claim the franchise’s first Super Bowl title in 20 years.
Instead, the Niners were eliminated from this year’s playoff race with Sunday’s 17-7 loss to the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers fell to 7-7 and have lost three straight games for the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era.
“It sucks,” left tackle Joe Staley said. “Like I said, it sucks. This is not what we play for, not what we practice for. I am not going to sit here and say, ‘Oh, we are going to do it next time.’”
While one of Harbaugh’s most-used mantras is to not get ahead of his headlights, there are still more far-reaching questions than easily attainable answers for this team with two games remaining.
Indeed, this is unchartered territory for a Harbaugh-coached Niners team as this is the first time the 49ers will play a meaningless game, let alone two. So with so many familiar faces and big names likely candidates to be gone next season -- from Harbaugh to running back Frank Gore to receiver Michael Crabtree to left guard Mike Iupati to defensive lineman Justin Smith to linebacker Ahmad Brooks -- do the Niners play the younger talent these past two games, at home against the San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, to assess what they have for the future?
As long as Harbaugh is in charge, he is going to coach to win.
“That’s what a professional does,” Harbaugh said, “focuses every week, every practice, every play, every game, every ounce of energy you have.”
Then again, injuries might dictate who is on the field for the 49ers to close out the season.
Gore was lost to a first-half concussion and rookie running back Carlos Hyde, who seems ready to take the baton from the 10th-year veteran, tweaked his back while getting tackled awkwardly.
Brooks had his left thumb heavily bandaged and rookie linebacker Chris Borland missed most of the second half with an ankle injury, as did backup tight end Garrett Celek and inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite.
The backups pressed into action against the Seahawks were simply outplayed, though not outhustled.
“I’m very proud of them,” Harbaugh said. “The effort was plus-plus. They fought like champs.”
But against the defending champs, the Niners lost both on the scoreboard and the battle of attrition.
Sure, the 49ers played with more passion this week than they had since before Thanksgiving, before these same Seahawks feasted on them and turkey on their midfield logo at Levi’s Stadium and the Oakland Raiders knocked them around and upside down, and laughed when they conquered and won.
It was a familiar theme for a .500 team that reared its head in the Emerald City -- it simply was not enough.
So what’s the goal these past two weeks?
“To win,” quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. “I think, regardless of the situation, we are going out to win. There is no one on this team that is going to step out on the field and say, ‘Hey, our season is over, we are not going out to compete.’
“We are going to compete to the end.”
