49ers Take Playoff Hopes Into Home Finale Vs. Texans

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SANTA CLARA (AP) – For the San Francisco 49ers, the way is simple: Win the last 2 games and they get backmost to the playoffs for the 2nd clip successful 5 seasons nether manager Kyle Shanahan.

After squandering immoderate of their borderline for mistake with a nonaccomplishment past week astatine Tennessee, the Niners (8-7) caput into their last location crippled connected Sunday against Houston (4-11) inactive successful power of their postseason fate.

“I don’t cognize the nonstop numbers. The 1 happening I bash cognize is if we triumph some of the games that we’re in,” manager Kyle Shanahan said. “I cognize it’s going to beryllium hard if we suffer any. So not taking it past that, you look astatine it arsenic if you suffer your play is implicit and if you win, it keeps going. And that’s, to me, the explanation of the playoffs. So our players are alert of that and that’s wherefore we person to marque definite we instrumentality attraction of business.”

San Francisco was incapable to bash that past week erstwhile the Niners blew a 10-point halftime pb and mislaid 20-17 to the Titans.

Even with the loss, San Francisco tin clinch the playoffs this week with a triumph implicit the Texans and a New Orleans nonaccomplishment to Carolina. The Niners volition besides clinch with wins this week and successful the finale against the Rams, but would request assistance if they suffer either game.

They mightiness person to woody with the Texans without backmost Jimmy Garoppolo, who sprained his close thumb past week. Garoppolo is trying to play this week but if helium doesn’t rookie Trey Lance volition marque his 2nd start.

The playoffs person agelong been retired of scope for the Texans, but Houston does person different accidental to play spoiler.

The Texans followed up a Week 15 triumph implicit Jacksonville by upsetting the playoff-contending Chargers past week. A triumph against the Niners would springiness Houston its archetypal three-game winning streak since the 2018 season.

“Obviously, winning’s a batch amended than losing,” Texans backmost Davis Mills said. “I conjecture there’s conscionable morale successful the locker country that everyone’s excited to support this triumph streak alive, support going and attacking each week with that relentless attitude.”

QB QUANDRY

Garoppolo played done the thumb wounded for much than a fractional past week but struggled astatine times, including erstwhile helium threw his 2nd interception of the crippled connected the opening thrust of the 3rd quarter.

Lance, the 3rd prime successful the draft, hasn’t thrown a walk since making his lone commencement successful Week 5 astatine Arizona. He went 15 for 29 for 192 yards and an interception successful a 17-10 loss. He besides rushed for 89 yards connected 16 carries.

“He’ll get much playing time, much signifier this week and if helium plays, he’ll get a full different game,” Shanahan said. “I’m definite it won’t beryllium perfect, but I deliberation he’s been doing a amended occupation successful each areas the much helium has gotten signifier in.”

ROOKIE PROGRESS

Mills has played his champion shot successful the past 3 games aft seasoned Tyrod Taylor was benched. Mills, a third-round prime from Stanford, has thrown for 794 yards combined with 5 touchdowns and conscionable 1 interception successful that span, and the Texans person won 2 of 3 games.

His biggest betterment has travel successful shot information aft helium struggled with turnovers successful the six starts helium made aboriginal successful the play erstwhile Taylor was injured. Mills had 8 turnovers combined successful those games arsenic the Texans went 0-6.

He said helium feels overmuch much comfy present and has a amended cognition of the offense.

“I’m conscionable capable to spell retired determination and play faster, and I conjecture that leads to amended execution,” Mills said.

DOMINANT DEEBO

No substance who’s astatine backmost for the Niners, Deebo Samuel figures to beryllium a large portion of San Francisco’s offense. Samuel is coming disconnected his 4th crippled of the play with astatine slightest 150 yards receiving aft having 9 catches for 159 yards against the Titans.

Samuel joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice arsenic the lone Niners to bash that. Samuel besides contributed erstwhile again connected the crushed with 5 carries for 32 yards arsenic helium became the archetypal Niners subordinate since Frank Gore successful 2009 to apical 1,500 yards from scrimmage with astatine slightest 12 TDs.

“Deebo is simply a precise peculiar person,” Texans cornerback Desmond King said. “He is simply a feline that tin person the shot successful his hands. He tin drawback the ball. He’s a gadget feline truthful we are going to person to beryllium prepared for what helium has coming to the table.”

ON THE RUN

The Texans stay past successful the NFL successful yards rushing a crippled contempt moving for a season-high 189 yards against the Chargers. The Texans are averaging conscionable 84.8 yards rushing adjacent aft their large time led by a career-high 149 yards rushing from Rex Burkhead.

Houston is focused connected gathering connected past week’s rushing show this week against the 49ers, who fertile 11th successful the NFL successful tally defence by allowing 107.3 yards a game.

“I anticipation to transportation it on,” manager David Culley said. “Obviously, erstwhile we’re capable to bash that, it makes things overmuch amended for america offensively.”

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