Kyle Shanahan is used to squaring off against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, but the 49ers coach had a different experience with his divisional rival in Week 15.
With San Francisco having already defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 45-29 -- and clinched the West -- the previous day, Shanahan was able to enjoy the second half of "Monday Night Football" with his family at home, he told KNBR on Friday.
And as odd as it felt, the coach was rooting for the Seahawks to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles so that the 49ers' path to the NFC's No. 1 seed would be that much easier. As the 49ers Faithful know, Seattle delivered in a last-minute win that had to have Philadelphia fans reeling.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"That was awesome because we had an eight-day week ... So that was the first time I was home by halftime and got to sit and watch the game with my family," Shanahan told KNBR. "It was probably one of the most exciting games I've been able to watch because it did pertain to us a little bit, with what everyone was looking for, and I didn't have to do work at the time so I got to sit down and enjoy it.
"However, I didn't enjoy it very much because I was so frustrated, because it didn't look like Seattle was going to win. So I was starting to check out a little but, and then all of a sudden that last drive it was like, 'How the hell did that just happen?' And my wife was cheering and we were pretty excited."
Shanahan said he told his wife to settle down shortly after -- because even though the Seahawks' win was good for San Francisco, the 49ers still have three regular-season games remaining and a lot to accomplish.
The 49ers can clinch the NFC's top seed in Week 16 thanks in part to the Seahawks' heroics, though, should the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and Eagles all lose their games and if San Francisco beats the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.
San Francisco 49ers
While rooting for Seattle isn't anything most football fans -- or coaches -- in the Bay would like to do, it certainly paid off last Monday night. Shanahan said some of his 49ers players called him after the game's crazy ending, which saw the Seahawks score on a game-winning touchdown with 28 seconds left in the contest.
"I was really happy with those guys, which you don't always feel that way about Seattle, but I did them for a couple hours at least," Shanahan said.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast