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One of the reasons the San Francisco 49ers offense faced such a steep uphill climb in their Week 18 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks was their injury situation. That should improve heading into the postseason according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
There was a scare on the 49ers' final defensive play when quarterback Brock Purdy was sandwiched between two Seahawks defensive linemen. Purdy stayed down for a long time after being hit before eventually jogging off the field. Shanahan after the game indicated in his postgame press conference that it was a stinger in Purdy's non-throwing shoulder. That issue isn't expected to linger into the postseason.
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Later in his press conference he noted something interesting that gives some optimism for their offense after a dreadful performance Saturday night where they managed to post only three points while averaging a paltry 4.1 yards per play.
Shanahan was asked whether left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who both missed Saturday's game, were close to playing Saturday. His answer gives some optimism for their chances to suit up on wild card weekend.
"They were pushing it," Shanahan said. "It would've been too risky to play them though. They pushed it all the way up to the end, but it wouldn’t have been the smartest decision by us to let them.”
When asked if they might've been able to play if the 49ers were playing Sunday instead of Saturday, Shanahan answered in the affirmative.
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"Oh, yeah. Much better chance.”
If both players had a chance to play Sunday, it stands to reason they're on track to be ready for next week when the 49ers will play either Saturday, Sunday or Monday depending on how the rest of the standings shake out. There are still some questions about the health of the already banged up 49ers defense after a rash of injuries in the season finale, but signs point toward their offense being something closer to full strength when the playoffs begin.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers injury updates on Brock Purdy, Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall
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