Kyle Shanahan issues defiant message as 49ers prepare for a road playoff battle

Kyle Shanahan was front and center for the San Francisco 49ers’ recent 13–3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a result that dropped the team to the No. 6 seed in the conference. Still, the head coach made it clear that playing their playoff game on the road does not concern him.

“We’re ready for it. It would have been nice to have home games and get a bye, but it is what it is. This team has been through a lot this year, and now we’ve got to do it the hard way,” Shanahan said after the loss to the Seahawks.

The 49ers’ approach will be to fully embrace that road challenge, which could send them to Philadelphia or Chicago. “We’ll embrace the hell out of doing it the hard way and we’ll look forward to it,” the head coach said during his press conference.

Scenarios for the 49ers’ road playoff game

Kyle Posey of Niners Nation outlined what needs to happen for San Francisco in terms of its road playoff destination, including a chance to move up to the No. 5 seed if a key result goes their way on Sunday, January 4, with a Rams loss.

“If the Rams lose on Sunday, the Niners are the 5th seed. If the Rams, Eagles, and Bears win, the 49ers will travel to Philadelphia. If the Rams, Eagles, and Lions win, the 49ers will travel to Chicago,” Posey wrote on X regarding the 49ers’ playoff outlook.

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San Francisco is now locked into a Wild Card round matchup. If that game comes against the Philadelphia Eagles, the all-time series favors the 49ers at 21-15-1. The most recent meeting at Lincoln Financial Field was a decisive 42-19 win for Shanahan’s team in 2023.