Rival 49ers, Rams Face Anticlimactic Regular-Season Finish

Christian McCaffrey (23) of the San Francisco 49ers runs between Jordan Fuller (4) and Jonah Williams (92) of the Los Angeles Rams, to score a touchdown for a 7–0 lead, during a 30–23 49ers win at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sept. 17, 2023. Harry How/Getty Images

As they drew up the slate for this year’s final round of regular-season action, the National Football League’s schedule-makers undoubtedly had an entirely different vision in mind for California fans.

While five playoff berths and four division championships will be on the line in the league’s 16 games this weekend, California’s two playoff-bound teams will meet Jan. 7 in Santa Clara with virtually nothing at stake.