Kawakami: 49ers make mental shift into playoff mode, with help from Puka Nakoa's mind game

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Kyle Shanahan, who was partly joking and partly serious in the playoffs, boiled it down to an in-game (meaningless) (statistical) mind game.

Neither the 49ers nor the Rams cared much about the outcome of the final regular-season game at Levi's Stadium, which ended in a 21-20 Rams victory. They are both in the playoffs. They are rivals, but that was not the case on Sunday with both teams sitting at quarterback and several other players. The 49ers' emotional disconnect was even greater, as they had shut out the No. 1 seed in the NFC the previous weekend, meaning they had a bye during the opening round of the playoffs. Their first priority: surviving the four quadrants without sustaining any serious injuries. Just get over this and wait a couple of weeks until you get the big stuff.

So the 49ers were in limbo on Sunday, but they circled a very specific and illustrative goal, anyway.

“We were just trying to keep them from getting another yard and another completion to Puka (Naqua) so he had to play the whole game,” Shanahan said with a smile.

That means putting as much attention as possible on Nacua to keep him as long as possible from breaking NFL rookie records for most catches in a season and most receiving yards. Entering the game, Nacua needed just 4 receptions and 29 yards to do so. The 49ers stopped him short of that in the first half, including some dangerous double coverage in the second quarter when the Rams were frantically trying to get it done before halftime.

Which forced the Rams to play Nacua in the third quarter — when he broke both records early by catching back-to-back passes of 7 and 6 yards.

“Our goal was to keep him going throughout the game,” Shanahan said. “We knew it was going to be tough. We knew he needed one more catch and one more yard (after halftime). … I'm just glad it came in third. Small victory.”

What the heck was going on here? The 49ers were never suggesting that the Rams did anything wrong by trying to feed Nacua and then take him out of the game — the 49ers have done that to their players on occasion. It's part of playing with or against good players.

No, this was Shanahan messing around a little with his enemies on the Rams' coaching staff and also trying to create some energy for his team in a game lacking motivation. This was Shanahan looking forward to the upcoming bye week and telling his players that there are still things to play for in this game, even if those things are made up.

Of course, Nacua got his records and the 49ers were forced to walk off the field with a 12-5 record, instead of 13-4, and with their nine-game regular season winning streak over the Rams over. It doesn't matter much now. Only the playoffs matter. But Sunday's micro-focus was also important, because the 49ers wanted to matter.

This was Shanahan making that mental shift and taking his players with him.

“I'm trying not to get really upset about the way the game ended on a personal level,” Shanahan said of the outcome of the game. “But I also have to keep it in perspective and make sure we're prepared for what matters.”

The 49ers can't be too active right now – they've got two tough practices scheduled this week before they know who their opponent will be on either January 20th or 21st, and they've just played nine straight weeks, so they've got some bruises to heal, including… That knee problem forced Clelin Ferrell out after the first series on Sunday. They don't want to feel fixed or overly stressed when they get to that divisional round.

What did they show on Sunday? Backup quarterback Sam Darnold (16 completions on 26 attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown and 7 rushes for 19 yards and another TD) isn't a bad emergency option for Brock Purdy in the playoffs; that they have some nice depth at running back behind Christian McCaffrey (Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason combined for 88 yards on 20 carries); And this player Jake Moody is having an even shakier run in the playoffs (barely fouled wide on a 38-yard field goal attempt, then failed dramatically on an extra point attempt).

Shanahan said it's never nice to see a kick miss twice, but he said it was just a tough day for Moody, who has been good all season. When I asked if the 49ers might bring another player onto the practice squad just to be another playoff option, Shanahan shook his head and said they were fine with Moody.

They are in playoff mode. It's full of Pro Bowl players. They won the top seed. They are the favorites to make the NFC Championship. They're favorites with the Ravens to win it all in February. Yes, the 49ers love those opportunities and this moment.

“I feel like we're right where we want to be, the No. 1 seed,” said Trent Williams, who only played the first series of the game. “Obviously it's never perfect. We're still trying to get better with the opportunities we have and trying to come out, whenever we play, week in and week out, and try to keep the season alive.”

They'll have Purdy, the best QB in the NFC this season, and they're 2-0 in playoff games that Purdy was healthy enough to finish. They'll have McCaffrey (who missed this game), Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and all the other stars you know. They have those tough, triggering memories of losing Purdy in the first quarter of last season's NFC Championship game and then backing up Josh Johnson shortly afterward.

They are confident. They are driven. they He should be confident. But first, they need to overcome this forgetfulness. They've had a vacation, but now they need to make the most of it. Are they sharp enough now? Nacua's mini-mind games told me that the 49ers are still pretty smart.

“Our goal was to get a No. 1 seed; “That was our first and foremost goal,” Shanahan said. “We did. It was a little weird this last week. But I like the way our guys handled it. I liked how our year went. We set out to do that, and I was very happy with how many guys improved over the course of the year.”

“But like our players say, we still feel like we're our best forwards. And it's kind of hard to be born when you don't go through these games, but that's why we have to be involved in these practices and how we clean things up and make sure no matter what happens, no matter who comes in here In two weeks, no matter what type of game it is, whether it's a shootout, whether it's a field goal game, whatever it is, we're ready to do whatever it takes to win.

If there are no upsets in the first round of the NFC, the 49ers will host the winner of the 4-5 wild card game, with Tampa Bay hosting a collapsed Philadelphia. Yeah, I think the 49ers wouldn't mind facing either of those teams; Absolutely.

But since they will be playing the lower-seeded team that survives the first round, the 49ers could also end up playing the Packers or Rams. In fact, I have more than a sneaking suspicion that the 49ers almost expect to play the Rams, who play the Lions in Detroit next weekend.

Who would be the toughest potential matchup in the divisional round? I think it'll be the Rams, if only because Matthew Stafford is a quarterback who can light up any defense at any time and beat the 49ers in the NFC title game in January 2022, because Aaron Donald is a Hall of Fame defensive player, because running back Kyren Williams is a budding star. , thanks to receiver Cooper Kupp and — hey, guess who — Pukka Nakoa.

“Now we're focused and recommitted to the postseason and trying to achieve that ultimate goal,” Williams said. “This is where we are now. Get some good work in this week, compete against each other a little bit, just keep sharpening our sword.”

They have two weeks to maintain their advantage. To continue pushing themselves, prepare for difficult moments and prepare themselves to provide everything necessary. The 49ers appear to be more than prepared for this. They had to play 16 tough games and a meaningless 17th game to get here. If they do it right, the best is yet to come.

(Kyle Shanahan Photo: Bob Coppins/Ikon Sportswire via Getty Images)