A lot can change in a week, and the current NFC West standings are proof of that. The San Francisco 49ers were the only team in the division to earn a win in Week 4. As a result, the red and gold have jumped up the charts to No. 2 behind the Seattle Seahawks, who are 3-1 on the year following their loss to the Detroit Lions on "Monday Night Football." The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals both sit at 1-3 headed into Week 5.
While this particular stretch of games is geographically favorable to the 49ers (they have just one road game over the next four weeks), two of those matchups will be against NFC West teams, and gamedays are just four days removed from each other. San Francisco will host the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's® Stadium this coming Sunday and travel to Seattle for "Thursday Night Football" in Week 6.
"Anytime you have divisional games, it's huge. Especially when you have two games in four days, just how quick that goes," head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. "The record can go from really good to really bad. It happens fast. You don't start thinking about that game now, but it's in the back of your head how it's two games before we get a break.
"Everyone loves getting that break. No one really loves playing two games in eight days, but if you tell anyone you get three days off after it, everyone's pretty excited about it. So, we've got a big one this week and as soon as that's over, we'll be right onto the next one."
The 49ers opened the work week with six players - linebacker Fred Warner (ankle), linebacker Dee Winters (ankle), wide receiver Jacob Cowing (shoulder), wide receiver Chris Conley (oblique), defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and tight end George Kittle (ribs) - not practicing on Wednesday. Another four - defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (knee), defensive lineman Kevin Givens (triceps), safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle) and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) - were all limited.
On a positive note, the team opened the pracitce window for defensive lineman Kalia Davis (knee) and opted to hold off on any movement involving wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (NFI list).
"(The possibility of Davis playing) is huge. We needed a little help (on the interior of the D-line) with depth," defensive lineman Nick Bosa said. "Hopefully he works in slow, but I think if his body is in good shape, then we already know what he can do as a player."
