There's no change in the San Francisco 49ers regular season finale in Week 18 as the team heads to SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Rams. At the conclusion of Sunday's games, the NFL announced the schedule for the Week 18 Saturday doubleheader in addition to the final regular season game of the season.
The 49ers will keep the time of their originally-scheduled matchup of 1:25 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 9.
With a 49ers win and a New Orleans Saints loss in Week 17, San Francisco would have stamped their ticket into the postseason. However, New Orleans defeated the Carolina Panthers, 18-10, forcing San Francisco to have to rely on its Week 18 outcome for a seat in the NFC playoff race.
It's a win-and-in scenario for the 49ers in Week 18. Despite having the same record, a loss for the 49ers and a win for the Saints over the Atlanta Falcons would thrust New Orleans into the postseason given their stronger conference record. The best-case scenario is a win for San Francisco. The 49ers are best to avoid a three-way tie with New Orleans and the Philadelphia Eagles, who are both currently one game behind them. (It's worth noting the Eagles clinched a playoff berth following a Week 18 win over the Washington Football Team and a Green Bay Packers victory.)
As the 49ers are fighting to remain in the playoff picture, the 12-4 Rams enter the game with the NFC West title on the line. Los Angeles is currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC and own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
San Francisco has won five-straight games against Los Angeles dating back to the 2019 season. The two teams met on "Monday Night Football" in Week 10, where the 49ers pulled off a 31-10 victory while forcing two turnovers against Matthew Stafford and dominating the time of possession with 39:03 of offense.
