12 Eagles to watch in regular season finale vs. Commanders

12 Eagles to watch in regular season finale vs. Commanders originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles have something to play for in Week 18 but they have elected to rest Jalen Hurts and other key starters against the Commanders.

But that doesn’t mean the Eagles can’t win this game against a four-win Commanders team that is likely going to start 39-year-old Josh Johnson.

Without some key starters playing, there are plenty of Eagles backups who will play in this game who are worth watching.

Here are 12 of them:

QB Tanner McKee: Every time the Eagles’ backup quarterback has gotten an opportunity to play, he has looked good. The 2023 sixth-round pick has played in 5 career games with his only start coming last Week 18 in a 20-13 win over the Giants. In that game, McKee completed 27 of 41 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns. McKee (6-6, 231) is a big pocket quarterback, who seems to have a quick processor. This could be a game where he shows he has future starter potential.

RB Tank Bigsby: The Eagles traded for Bigsby in early September and he eventually settled into his role as the Eagles’ backup running back behind Saquon Barkley. Bigsby this season has 42 rushers for 269 yards (6.4) and a touchdown. He has given the Eagles some explosive runs in limited time. It’s worth noting that Bigsby is under contract for the 2026 season.

WR Darius Cooper: The UDFA from Tarleton State earned a roster spot in training camp and has gotten some playing time this season. He has just 6 catches for 59 yards but has played 158 snaps and has been a solid blocker. There’s definite potential with Cooper and it’ll be fun to watch him in a game where he’s able to get more run at receiver.

WR Jahan Dotson: The Eagles’ No. 3 receiver has played in all 16 games this season with 9 starts but has just 15 catches for 222 yards and 2 touchdown this season on 539 snaps. There are 68 receivers who have played at least 500 snaps this season and Dotson is dead last in catches among them. But in Week 18 last year, Dotson caught 7 passes for 94 yards and then had a huge catch in Super Bowl LIX.

WR Britain Covey: The Eagles’ primary punt returner has done a really nice job in that role again this season after getting that job back. But he doesn’t get many opportunities to play on offense. Covey this season has played a total of just 5 offensive snaps and has played just 132 offensive snaps in his four years in the NFL. But Covey shows shiftiness in his role as a punt returner and it’s always fun to see if that translates to offense.

C Drew Kendall: The Eagles drafted three Day 3 offensive linemen this year but Kendall is the only one to be on the roster all season. The fifth-round pick from Boston College had a promising training camp but has played a total of 25 offensive snaps this season and has played in just six games.

OT Cameron Williams: The Eagles on Thursday activated Williams from IR to the 53-man roster so he’ll make his NFL debut on Sunday. The sixth-round pick from Texas has been on IR all season with a “shoulder” injury but will get a chance to play in a meaningful game.

LB Jihaad Campbell: Of all the players on this list, Campbell is the one you’ve seen the most of this season. The first-round pick from Alabama began the season as a starter but lost that job when Nakobe Dean returned from the PUP list. Despite that, Campbell has had a very encouraging rookie season and his future looks bright.

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: After getting a ton of first-team reps in training camp, Trotter settled back into his role as a backup and special teams for the second straight season. But Trotter showed some ability in training camp and definitely has some natural instincts that make you think he could play on defense in the NFL. He might not have the traits of a first-round pick but this could be a chance for Trotter to show he’s more than a special teamer.

DT Ty Robinson: When the Eagles drafted the 24-year-old Robinson in the fourth-round, there was an expectation that he would have a somewhat significant role as a rookie but that never materialized. Robinson has been buried on the depth chart and has played just 53 defensive snaps all season.

CB Mac McWilliams: Earlier in the season, when the CB2 position was really unsettled, it looked like the fifth-round pick from UCF could fight for a job but that never happened. McWilliams has been learning the nickel corner and outside corner jobs behind the scenes but has played just 7 defensive snaps all season. He could get more than that on Sunday.

CB Michael Carter II: One of the Eagles’ mid-season trade acquisitions, Carter II technically has two more years on his contract but without much guaranteed money, he won’t be here in 2026 without a restructure. But Carter offers value as a nickel and a safety and he might get to play both positions on Sunday.

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Justin Jefferson on J.J. McCarthy: I would love to show everyone he's the No. 1 guy

Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy returned to full practice participation on Thursday, which suggests he'll be back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Packers.

That will provide McCarthy with one more chance to make an impression at the end of his uneven first season as the starter in Minnesota. His current hand injury, an earlier ankle injury and a concussion have kept him out for almost half the season and his on-field results were often underwhelming.

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson's numbers reflect the nature of those on-field results. He's posted the lowest receptions and yards per game of his career and remains 53 yards shy of hitting 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth time in his first six seasons. On Thursday, though, Jefferson said his vote would be for McCarthy to remain the quarterback in 2026.

"That's not my job," Jefferson said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. "Of course I would love for him to be here. Of course I would love for him to be the quarterback. Especially off this year. I feel like he needs to show everybody and prove to everybody that he is that top-tier quarterback. So I would love to have him. I would love to work with him and show everybody that he is that No. 1 guy."

Week 18's performance won't do much to change the big picture of the Vikings' season, but a positive outing would be a good argument for McCarthy's place in the future of the franchise.

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‘Excited to see him:' Finally, a chance for Jeremiah Trotter to play defense

‘Excited to see him:' Finally, a chance for Jeremiah Trotter to play defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

All you have to do to project what kind of linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. can be is watch him on special teams.

He’s fast, physical, smart and instinctive on special teams, and those are the qualities you expect to see when he makes his first start of the year Sunday against the Commanders.

“He’s got a full understanding of the defense,” all-pro Zack Baun said. “When he’s in there, he’s calling out where our blitz is coming from, he calls out for the d -line, he’s communicating with the safeties and helping the young safeties out. He’s wise beyond his years, for sure.”

Trotter has only played 19 defensive snaps this year, but he’s played 313 special teams snaps, second on the team and five fewer than Sydney Brown. 

His only significant playing time on defense since the Eagles drafted him in the fifth round out of Clemson last year came at the end of his rookie season, when he got 23 snaps late in the blowout win over the Cowboys and 53 in the meaningless season-ender over the Giants. 

With the starters resting Sunday, Trotter is expected to start against the Commanders in the regular-season finale at the Linc.

To say he can’t wait is putting it mildly.

“Yeah, I’m excited for the opportunity,” he said at his locker Thursday. “I just can’t wait to go out there, play around with my guys and go out there and just play football.”

The few times we’ve seen Trott play linebacker – training camp, preseason games, the Giants game last year – he’s sure looked the part. Not surprising, considering his bloodlines.

Even without significant reps during the season, he believes he’s gotten better over the last few months.

“If you’re not getting the physical reps, it’s going to be mental, and that’s how you get better,” he said. “I know it’s kind of cliche, ‘getting mental reps,’ and you hear it a lot. But it really does help out when you’re focusing and trying to get the rep mentally. You figure out how to learn from other people, the good plays the guys make and the bad plays and then when you go out there, remember it and apply it to your game.”

Trotter is backing up some elite inside linebackers, including Baun, rookie 1^st-round pick Jihaad Campbell and elite playmaker Nakobe Dean.

It could be easy to get discouraged without a clear path to the starting lineup, but Trotter doesn’t look at it that way. Not even close.

“I mean, I’m living out my dream, playing football in the NFL at the highest level,” he said. “God has really blessed me a lot this year. And really, I’ve just been trying to play my role and be the best person I can be in my role to help the team get to where we want to be as a team.”

And Trotter said he doesn’t have any problem putting his own personal desires on the backburner. He’s already got one Super Bowl ring, and he’d love to have another.

“I feel like for me, it’s not hard, because I understand that everybody has a role and when everybody buys into their role, no matter what it is, that’s when you have high-caliber teams that can not just do it one time like we did last year but have the opportunity to be able to do it again,” he said. 

“And that’s a culture thing. When you’re able to build that culture and the guys in the locker room all believe in that, that’s how you get teams like the Chiefs and Patriots, teams that have won it back-to-back or back-to-back-to-back. And we’re still trying to work to do that, but we have another opportunity this year to be able to go back to the Super Bowl.”

Baun, who just made his second straight Pro Bowl, will be among the Eagles’ regulars who won’t be playing Sunday as coach Nick Sirianni tries to create a bye week heading into the playoffs.

This year is a little different because there is something potentially at stake. If the Lions beat the Bears in Chicago, the Eagles would get the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff bracket by beating the Commanders.

Baun will be watching as Trotter is part of a makeshift defense that will try to help deliver the Eagles their 12^th win of the season.

“Just want to see him being a leader and running around and making plays,” Baun said. “I know he’s been itching to play since he got here, so every opportunity he gets in practice, he flies around and makes plays, so I’m excited to see him do it in the game.”

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NFL Week 18 picks: 49ers take NFC's No. 1 seed; Steelers win AFC North

 (Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 18 of the NFL season.

All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Last week, Farmer posted a 9-7 (.563) record. Through the first 17 weeks of the season, he is 164-92 (.641).

Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread in Week 17 would have been 4-12 (.333). For the season, his record against the spread is 120-136 (.469).

All times are Pacific and TV reflects broadcasts in the Los Angeles area.

Panthers (8-8) at Buccaneers (7-9)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. TV: ABC, ESPN.

Line: Buccaneers by 3. O/U: 44½.

This was a three-point win by the Panthers when these teams met two weeks ago and figures to be just about that close in the rematch. Hard to trust Tampa Bay, which has lost seven of its last eight games. This showdown comes down to the wire and Carolina wins with a field goal to clinch the NFC South title.

Pick: Panthers 24, Buccaneers 21

Seahawks (13-3) at 49ers (12-4)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy passes against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 28. (Scot Tucker / Associated Press)

Saturday, 5 p.m. TV: ABC, ESPN.

Line: Seahawks by 1½. O/U: 49½.

As hot as Seattle is, San Francisco is surging and has the experience and home crowd at its back. It will be a really physical game and the winner claims the conference title. Seattle has lost seven of eight to the 49ers with the only win being last season and by three points.

Pick: 49ers 28, Seahawks 27

Packers (9-6-1) at Vikings (8-8)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Vikings by 5½. O/U: 36½.

The Packers are locked in as the No. 7 seed, and the Vikings are playing for pride. Have to believe with all the injuries his team has dealt with, Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur is going to make preserving health a priority. So no matter what happens at quarterback, I like the Vikings winning at home.

Pick: Vikings 21, Packers 16

Colts (8-8) at Texans (11-5)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Texans by 10½. O/U: 39½.

The Philip Rivers experiment was so much fun, but now it’s back to planning for the future with Riley Leonard. Division crown is a longshot for Texans, but they can still improve their seeding.

Pick: Texans 24, Colts 10

Titans (3-13) at Jaguars (12-4)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 28. (Zach Bolinger / Associated Press)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Jaguars by 11½. O/U: 47½.

The Titans were on the wrong end of a laugher when these teams met at the end of last month. Now they’re playing for pride whereas the Jaguars have every incentive to keep their foot on the gas. The Jaguars have won seven in a row, averaging 30 points during that streak.

Pick: Jaguars 31, Titans 17

Saints (6-10) at Falcons (7-9)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Falcons by 3. O/U: 43½.

Here are a couple teams who are out of the playoff race but have assembled winning streaks. The Falcons handled the Saints pretty easily in New Orleans last month and should win a closer game at home.

Pick: Falcons 24, Saints 20

Cowboys (7-8-1) at Giants (3-13)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Cowboys by 4½. O/U: 52½.

It’s a small consolation but the Cowboys are determined to finish with a .500 record, so they’re incentivized. Pride and a pass rush will keep the three-win Giants in this one. Figures to be reasonably high-scoring, although that could be tempered by a bitter-cold breeze.

Pick: Cowboys 28, Giants 24

Browns (4-12) at Bengals (6-10)

Sunday, 10 a.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Bengals by 7½. O/U: 44½.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor says it’s “an absolute nightmare” for his team to face Myles Garrett, and that might be so, but Cincinnati gets the edge in this one. Joe Burrow over Shedeur Sanders. The Bengals have six wins and the Browns have four. Do you still call that state bragging rights?

Pick: Bengals 23, Browns 13

Cardinals (3-13) at Rams (11-5)

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes against the Seattle Seahawks on No. 16. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: Fox.

Line: Rams by 7½. O/U: 45½.

Certainly not a meaningless game for the Rams. They need to gather some momentum heading into the postseason, because at the moment they’re rolling backward. The Cardinals have surrendered an average of 37 points in the past four games (all losses). Rams roll, but what does it portend?

Pick: Rams 38, Cardinals 13

Chargers (11-5) at Broncos (13-3)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: CBS.

Line: Broncos by 11½. O/U: 36½.

The Chargers are resting Justin Herbert and other starters, so this is about getting out of Denver without injuries. Trey Lance has accounted for himself well in those rare chances he gets, but he’ll be under heavy pressure from that Broncos pass rush. These teams keep it on the ground to make it a quick one.

Pick: Broncos 27, Chargers 18

Lions (8-8) at Bears (11-5)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams scrambles against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 28. (Lachlan Cunningham / Associated Press)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Bears by 2½. O/U: 49½.

The Bears need to recapture some of their swagger after losing at San Francisco, and the Lions are leaking confidence by the week. Six turnovers? Really? The Lions are going to play hard for Dan Campbell, but disdain for a division rival will only take them so far.

Pick: Bears 28, Lions 23

Jets (3-13) at Bills (11-5)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Bills by 7½. O/U: 38½.

The Bills can improve their playoff seeding with a win, and the Jets have packed it in for the season. Buffalo needs to wash away the foul taste of that one-point loss to Philadelphia, plus the Bills want to turn off the lights at Highmark Stadium in style. Should be pretty lopsided.

Pick: Bills 31, Jets 10

Chiefs (6-10) at Raiders (2-14)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Chiefs by 5½. O/U: 36½.

Talk about coming full circle. This will feel like an exhibition game. Better buy a program so you can figure out who’s on the field. The Chiefs have a better roster, and they feed the ball at Travis Kelce early and often. Disappointing seasons for a pair of future Hall of Fame coaches.

Pick: Chiefs 17, Raiders 9

Dolphins (7-9) at Patriots (13-3)

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel walks on the sideline during a win over the New York Jets on Dec. 28. (Vera Nieuwenhuis / Associated Press)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Patriots by 10½. O/U: 45½.

The No. 1 seed is within reach for the Patriots. The Dolphins are playing for pride and individual contract incentives. Barring a bizarre twist, this one is pretty straight-forward. Mike Vrabel has his New England players ready to enter the playoffs on a roll — and in the frosty cold.

Pick: Patriots 35, Dolphins 12

Commanders (4-12) at Eagles (11-5)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. TV: NFL Ticket.

Line: Eagles by 7. O/U: 41½.

The Eagles and Bears kick off at the same time, so Philadelphia will have to play hard in case it can move up for that No. 2 seed. Washington put up something of a fight when these teams met two weeks ago. Philadelphia is prone to offensive lapses, though, so this might not be a blowout.

Pick: Eagles 26, Commanders 20

Ravens (8-8) at Steelers (9-7)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers passes against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 28. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)

Sunday, 5:20 p.m. TV: NBC, Peacock.

Line: Ravens by 3½. O/U: 41½.

It’s winner-take-all in the AFC North. Judging by their performances last week, the Ravens should win going away. But that’s not how this rivalry works. These games are almost always super close, and Pittsburgh rarely loses at home to Baltimore. Aaron Rodgers comes through.

Pick: Steelers 23, Ravens 21

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Why Jordan Mailata is confident Eagles' offense will contribute in playoffs

Why Jordan Mailata is confident Eagles' offense will contribute in playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Because the Eagles are resting some key starters for this Week 18 game against the Commanders, their starting offense finished its regular season on a sour note with an ugly second half against the Bills in a win.

Despite that, left tackle Jordan Mailata is still confident. In fact, Mailata on Wednesday said their confidence is “through the roof.”

Why is the confidence high?

“The guys we have,” Mailata explained. “I think we’ve been here before. We’ve been doubted before. I think we’ve had these same questions heading into last year. And so, for us, we welcome that challenge. It’s not like we’re just pushing it under the carpet. We’re doing everything we can to get this run game going, to get this play-action game going to help and give our defense a rest. 

“But we’ve been here before. We’ve been doubted and every time we’ve proven them wrong. That’s why I have confidence. That’s why everyone else does as well.”

Mailata is right that there were definitely some questions about the Eagles’ offense entering the 2024 playoffs but those questions were about one element of the offense. The Eagles’ passing offense was struggling deep into the 2024 season but they did have a 2,000-yard rusher last season.

This year, the Eagles are entering Week 18 as the NFL’s 24th-ranked offense in yards, 19th in points and 12th in EPA/play. No matter how you slice it, this is an underperforming offense, especially relative to expectations.

The good news for the Eagles is that their defense has been incredible recently. And the offensive players definitely appreciate it.

“I think one thing I can and 100% know and I can get behind is the energy of our defense,” Mailata said. “If I look back through this whole year, it’s been the most consistent thing this year. And it’s picked us up in games when we weren’t doing anything and it’s helped start us hot in games. They’ve been the most consistent thing.”

The Eagles’ defense has gotten better and better as the season has gone on. Since their Week 9 bye week, the Eagles have the No. 1 defense in points allowed, giving up just 14.5 per game. Since the bye week, the Eagles have somehow won games in which they scored 10, 16 and 13 points.

But let’s face it: The Eagles’ offense just isn’t living up to its end of the deal right now.

“All we want to do is contribute to the games,” Mailata said. “And it hurts us when we don’t contribute. When we suck, that hurts. And we know it too. Us on the sideline, we’re all problem-solving, trying to figure out how to contribute to this win. That’s why I feel like it is a great opportunity for us to learn from our mistakes but also learn that this is football. This is going to happen. The defense is going to have our back. That’s football, in my eyes. 

“Now heading into the playoffs, our goal, my goal at least, is to help contribute. Stay on the field and contribute to win because I think if we can play total football and complete football, I think everyone would have a great playoff run.”

There’s no question the Eagles have a talented offense but it’s also clear this offense hasn’t maximized its potential all season, save for a few fleeting moments.

It’s possible the Eagles can win in the playoffs playing the brand of football we’ve seen this year — with an elite defense winning tight games. But it would really help if the offense could get it going just a little bit more.

“I think anything beyond what we’ve done becomes not important,” Jalen Hurts said. “It’s about what we do with the opportunities that we have. I’m excited about this opportunity this week to improve and ultimately everything we have in front of us.”

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Is there any reason to believe Eagles' offense can find itself in postseason?

Is there any reason to believe Eagles' offense can find itself in postseason? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Can the Eagles’ offense magically figure things out and become productive, efficient and competent in the postseason after sputtering all year?

I don’t see how.

I don’t see how this offense is going to magically figure things out against the kind of teams you face in the postseason.

I don’t see how you can expect to just flip a switch and suddenly start moving the ball and finishing drives and scoring points against top defenses.

I don’t see how Kevin Patullo can magically morph into the sort of elite play caller you need to win playoff games.

Every conversation about the Eagles right now includes some form of the phrase, “They’re only going to go as far as the defense can take them.”

And there’s no other way to look at it. The Eagles’ only chance at a deep playoff run is if Vic Fangio’s unit continues playing otherworldly football and shutting teams down on a regular basis. And it’s not impossible. For only the third time since 1939, the Eagles won three games this year when the offense managed 16 or fewer points.

And I see no reason the defense won’t keep playing at this level. They’re on fire right now. But it’s asking an awful lot of the defense to just keep carrying this team on its back. Honestly, it’s asking too much. Because this offense has been so consistently terrible that even this defense can’t overcome their ineptitude.

The Eagles have faced six teams this year that currently have a winning record, averaging 16.7 points and 293 net yards and converting 32 percent on third down in those six games.

They scored 20 offensive points just once against those teams – 26 vs. the Rams in their comeback win back in Week 3. Since then, 15 vs. the Broncos, 10 vs. the Packers, 15 vs. the Bears, 19 vs. the Chargers, 13 vs. the Bills.

Sure, the offense looked functional against the Raiders, Commanders and Giants. You don’t get to play the Raiders, Commanders and Giants in the playoffs.

All year, we’ve kept saying, with this kind of talent, the offense has to get going. With Jalen and A.J. and DeVonta and Dallas and Saquon and that offensive line? How could it not? They’re loaded with talent on that side of the ball.

But we’re still waiting. And week after week we get the same tired explanations about struggling on first down, falling behind the sticks, and penalties and putting the players in better position to make plays.

And now we’re supposed to believe that after four months of inefficiency and inadequacy the Eagles’ offense is going to suddenly figure things out just because it’s the playoffs?

It doesn’t work that way.

On Wednesday, Nick Sirianni was asked if he believes the offense can kick into gear in the postseason after such a dismal regular season. He said he does believe it can happen and he used last year as an example, when the Eagles were at their best in the postseason.

But the offense last year averaged 24.6 points per game during the regular season against playoff-bound teams before going nuts in the playoffs, as opposed to 16.7 points this year vs. playoff teams. That’s a difference of a touchdown per game. Not quite the same. That was a good offense that took off in the postseason. This is a terrible offense.

I do have faith in this defense to keep the Eagles in every game. They’re playing out of their minds and getting better each week, and they’ll go into the playoffs having allowed an NFL-low 14.5 points per game since Week 9.

But there’s no margin for error right now. The defense is going into every game against good teams knowing that they have to be almost perfect to make up for an offense that we just saw gain 16 yards after halftime in Buffalo.

The offense hasn’t gotten better, hasn’t grown, hasn’t progressed. It’s actually worse now than the first few weeks of the season. They’ve tried week after week to fix it and they’ve failed. So how can we expect them to miraculously fix it now, 18 weeks into the season?

You can get away with elite defense and hapless offense against the Commanders or Raiders or Giants. Not against the teams they could face in the postseason.

Since 1961, the Eagles are 2-18 in the postseason when they score fewer than 20 points, with the wins coming in the conference semifinal round against the Falcons in 2017 – think Jalen Mills on Julio Jones on the final play – and the wild-card game Chicago in 2018 – think Double Doink.

So, yeah, maybe they can steal a 17-13 wild-card win and conceivably a 15-12 squeaker in the second round. But the only goal for this team all year has been to get back to the Super Bowl and win another one.

And with this offense, this hapless, plodding, bumbling offense, that’s just not going to happen.

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George Kittle says he "absolutely" expects to play Saturday vs. Seahawks

San Francisco tight end George Kittle says he won't miss Saturday's season finale against the Seahawks, with the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs on the line.

Asked if he expects to play on Saturday, Kittle said, "Absolutely."

Kittle missed last week's game with an ankle injury but said he's feeling “Fabulous" this week.

“Great position for Saturday night to clinch a one seed. So just with that, I'm doing fantastic," Kittle said.

The 49ers' offense played very well in beating the Bears without Kittle, and Kittle said he's proud to be part of a team that has had players step up all season when other players went out with injuries.

"Any time you're in position to secure a one seed, that means you're playing football at a really high level," Kittle said. "This team just keeps going."

And Kittle keeps going, confident that he can do what the 49ers have done all season: Shake off an injury and keep going.

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