If things work out as the 49ers hope, they just might keep their show on the road next week.
Coach Jim Harbaugh alluded to the possibility of staying in the Eastern half of the country if the 49ers beat the Packers Sunday, and have to play the Panthers on Jan. 12.
“I’ve given it some thought,” Harbaugh said of those travel plans, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
If the sixth-seeded Saints beat the Eagles in the other Wild Card game, a 49ers win over the Packers would mean a trip to Charlotte for the Divisional Round. But if the Eagles win, the fifth-seeded 49ers would head back to play the No. 1 Seahawks.
In his first two seasons as head coach, Harbaugh kept his team on the road for the week between games on the other side of the country, setting up shop in Youngstown, Ohio between road games with the Bengals and Eagles in 2011 and the Vikings and Jets in 2012.
But those trips were scheduled well in advance, allowing them to have plans in place for months. In the short turnaround between playoff games, staying might become more trouble than it’s worth, certainly more trouble than a few hours they’d spend on planes.