The NFL’s 100th regular season will go out with a bang.
The league has moved the Week 17 49ers-Seahawks rematch to prime time on NBC, capping the year with a game that will have the NFC West title hinging on the outcome.
Also, the winner almost definitely will get a bye; the loser will end up hitting the road in the wild-card round.
That’s the last thing the 49ers need. Their bye came way back in Week Four, and they’ve been limping a bit down the stretch.
Complicating matters for the loser of the game is the fact that, if the Cowboys win later today in Philadelphia, they’ll clinch the NFC East and can treat Week 17 as a bye, resting starters and preparing for the loser of what could be one of the more intense games of the season.
The 49ers hosted the Seahawks in Week 10, taking a 9-0 record into the game. The Seahawks won the game at the tail end of overtime, 27-24.
It will be the sixth prime-time game of the year for the 49ers, and the fifth for the Seahawks.