In the second part of a Saturday edition of Thursday Night Football, the San Diego Chargers will travel north to take on the San Francisco 49ers. Only the Chargers remain alive in the playoff race, with the 49ers eliminated last week against the Seattle Seahawks. The Denver Broncos have already locked up the AFC West, but at 8-6, San Diego is just one game back in the AFC wild card race.
Chargers vs. 49ers 2014: Online streaming, time, TV schedule and radio
The 49ers are out of the playoff race, and the Chargers are still in the thick of it.
The Chargers, though, probably have to win their final two games to get one of those two playoff spots. They face a difficult task with both games on the road, including next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are also 8-6 and own a head-to-head win over San Diego this season. The Chargers have lost two in a row, albeit against the top two teams in the AFC (the Broncos and Patriots), and quarterback Philip Rivers has struggled in both, throwing interceptions in critical situations.
Unfortunately for Rivers, he’ll be playing against one of the best secondaries in the league. San Francisco allows just 206 passing yards per game, third-lowest in the NFL, and has picked off 17 passes so far this year.
The 49ers were expected to be one of the most dominant teams in the NFL this season. Coming off three consecutive NFC Championship appearances, the 49ers’ 7-4 start had them right in the thick of the playoff picture. However, after three straight losses they are eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era. Harbaugh is rumored to be on the way out, and the 49ers are dealing with mounting injuries and off-the-field distractions, so it’s possible they’d like nothing more than to close the book on 2014.
The Chargers and 49ers have put together similar seasons thus far, alternating winning streaks with losing streaks. Both are currently on losing streaks, but only one will have playoff hopes on their mind.
How to Watch
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
When: 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS and NFL Network
Announcers: Phil Simms and Jim Nantz
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
San Francisco is favored by 1 point over San Diego, with an over/under of 41 points, per OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on San Diego, check out Bolts from the Blue.
To keep up on the 49ers, head over to Niners Nation.
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