Kyle Shanahan’s coaching performance this season may be his most impressive yet, adding to his record of three NFC West titles, four postseason appearances, and two Super Bowl trips since becoming the San Francisco 49ers coach in 2017.
Kyle Shanahan’s Coaching Performance Drives 49ers’ Playoff Push
Clinching a Playoff Spot Amid Injuries
The 49ers have battled relentless injury adversity throughout the year, yet they’ve still managed to clinch a playoff berth with three games remaining in the regular season. At 10–4, San Francisco finds itself firmly in the postseason picture while continuing to push for improved seeding rather than settling for a wild-card spot.
San Francisco returns to action Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts in its 15th game of the season. Thanks to results elsewhere around the league, the 49ers have already secured a place in the 2025 NFL playoffs. However, clinching early has not changed the team’s approach or its ambitions.
Path to the NFC West and No. 1 Seed
Currently the 49ers are the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture. Entering the postseason in that position would likely mean a road wild-card matchup against the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles. Thankfully, there is still time for the team to improve its playoff seeding to avoid that opponent. The 49ers still control their path to winning the NFC West and potentially securing the No. 1 seed if they win out over the final three weeks.
Kyle Shanahan’s Coaching Performance: Tested by Remaining Games
If San Francisco can defeat the Colts on Monday night and follow that up with wins over the fellow playoff-bound Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, it would finish the regular season on a seven-game winning streak while claiming the division crown. That outcome would also come with the added benefit of a first-round bye, a critical advantage for a team that has endured so many injuries.
The challenge, of course, is that none of those games will be easy. Indianapolis remains dangerous and is still fighting to keep its own playoff hopes alive. Chicago has taken a major step forward this season, while Seattle looms in what could become a winner-take-all Week 18 game between familiar divisional rivals.
The Seahawks and 49ers opened the season against one another, with San Francisco narrowly escaping with a 17–13 victory. Much has changed since then, but the stakes could not be higher if the two teams meet again with the division and playoff positioning on the line.
Over the past few weeks, the 49ers have taken care of business against teams they were expected to beat. As the schedule stiffens, continuing that trend will require clean football. Turnovers, penalties and special-teams mistakes tend to be magnified late in the season. The teams that avoid those errors are often the ones still standing in January.
Kyle Shanahan’s Coaching Performance: Managing Team Health
Perhaps most importantly, San Francisco must continue to navigate the injury minefield that has defined its season. Any significant setback to a cornerstone player could dramatically alter the team’s postseason outlook. Managing health, depth and weekly preparation has been Shanahan’s greatest challenge all year and may be what makes this his finest coaching season yet.
Main Image: Kelley L. Cox – Imagn Images
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