There’s nothing to lose for a team playing the spoiler role, and that’s exactly what the San Francisco 49ers are, as they prepare to close out the regular season with a Week 17 road bout against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
And the Niners offense is going to be pretty shorthanded, too.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan already lost running back Matt Breida and wide receiver Dante Pettis to season-ending injuries during the team’s 14-9 Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears. Neither has gone on injured reserve, though, meaning they’ll likely wind up on Shanahan’s final weekly inactive list on Sunday.