

Sure, the 49ers’ special teams unit had just delivered a punt block and touchdown to tie the game, and their defense had followed that by forcing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers into yet another three-and-out. The 49ers offense took the field in this snow globe, and it certainly seemed like a fitting place for their season to meet a freezing demise. The cold bit through anything that was exposed to it, and - gusting off the nearby water - it was bitter enough to trigger perpetual shivering even from those who were thoroughly layered with protection. The snow swirled and pelted the once-green field, coating it in a thickening layer of white. The wind chill outside hovered around zero degrees. From high above, Lambeau Field looked like a snow globe. As they did when they were down 17-0 at halftime in the regular-season finale. As they did when they were 3-5 and the Bay Area seemed to be crumbling beneath their feet. They needed the clock to keep going.Īnd now the 49ers are headed to the NFC Championship Game because they had an answer for this moment. Not picking up the first down would also give Aaron Rodgers time to answer, a traumatizing thought after he burned the 49ers in Week 3. Getting stuffed would make the game-winning attempt a 56-yard hail mary. But we wanted to make sure the clock ran regardless, so we went with the run.” “So it was a big dilemma whether to run or pass.

“We needed about five, five more yards to go for the field goal in those conditions,” Kyle Shanahan said in his postgame interview. And the seven yards of real estate the 49ers needed on this third down felt miles away. The field looked as if hell had frozen over. The clock was down to its precious final minute. For more information about NFL Flexible Scheduling, please visit. Specific dates, start times, and networks for Week 18 matchups will be determined and announced following the conclusion of Week 17. In Week 18, two games will be played on Saturday (4:30 PM ET and 8:15 PM ET) with the remainder to be played on Sunday afternoon (1:00 PM ET and 4:25 PM ET) and one matchup to be played on Sunday night (8:20 PM ET). As in prior seasons, for Week 18, the final weekend of the season, the scheduling of the Saturday, Sunday afternoon, and the Sunday night games is not assigned. Sunday afternoon games may also be moved between 1:00 p.m. Only Sunday afternoon games (or those listed as TBD) are eligible to be moved to Sunday night or Monday night, in which case the initially scheduled Sunday/Monday night game would be moved to Sunday afternoon. During the Flex Scheduling Windows, the games initially scheduled for Sunday Night Football (on NBC) and Monday Night Football (on ESPN or ABC) are tentatively scheduled and subject to change. This season, "flexible scheduling" for Sunday Night Football may be used up to twice between Weeks 5-10, and in the NFL's discretion during Weeks 11-17 and for Monday Night Football in the NFL's discretion in Weeks 12-17.
