Chargers vs. 49ers: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

The San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers meet Saturday for a showdown between two teams on the outside of the playoff bubble.

Only the visitors can still get in on the action.

Philip Rivers and the Chargers are losers of two straight, although matchups against the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos in back-to-back weeks will do that to most teams.

San Francisco overtakes San Diego in this regard. Colin Kaepernick and Co. have lost three in a row to fall from postseason contention in the competitive NFC West.

Of course, the 49ers would love nothing more than to spoil the Chargers' chance on Saturday's main event.

One Man's Shoulders

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Whether or not the Chargers can get back into the postseason rests on the shoulders of Rivers.

Last year's Comeback Player of the Year is under the radar once again considering he has 3,639 yards with 27 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. That said, performances such as last week's 232 yards with one touchdown to two picks in a 22-10 loss to Denver do not help matters.

Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego sums up Rivers' recent struggles well: 

How Rivers responds to whether or not his Chargers are an elite team is quite telling at this point.

"We're not in their company yet. We're just not," Rivers said, per Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. "That doesn't mean I don't believe we can be, or don't believe we can beat them. I believe we can. But those are the two teams that beat us in the last two weeks."

Things are direr than ever as Saturday looms. A 31st-ranked rushing attack that gained just 56 yards last week flanks Rivers.

Even worse, now leading wideout Keenan Allen (783 yards and four scores) will miss the game against San Francisco, as will starting tailback Ryan Mathews.

The burden of production falls on Rivers, who must find a way to move past a San Francisco defense that ranks third against the pass and eighth against the rush. With an old reliable target such as tight end Antonio Gates (662 yards and 10 scores), expect him to take to the air early and often Saturday night.

Playoffs and Pride

Pride is the focal point for the 49ers now.

Three losses in a row proved the death knell for postseason aspirations. When Sports Illustrated crafts a cover asking the question below, things really are at rock bottom:

The 49ers entered the season as if they wanted to be a pass-first team, but Kaepernick simply did not respond well to the approach and has 3,051 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. It helps little that speculation has run rampant about Jim Harbaugh's future with the team, including this article from Teddy Mitrosilis of Fox Sports.

San Francisco can still make an impact, though, by dragging down San Diego on the way out the door.

See, San Diego can make the playoffs by winning both of their games and having the Baltimore Ravens lose one of their final two, or by having one of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Cincinnati Bengals lose both of their remaining games.

All the 49ers will do to make other scenarios for San Diego a moot point is find a way to move the ball well through the air against the league's ninth-ranked aerial attack.

Then again, nothing has been as easy as it seems for this iteration of the 49ers, a team that appears to be in limbo in many ways.

When: Saturday, December 20, 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Watch: CBS

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 41.5
• Spread: San Francisco (-2.5)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Position	Status
Keenan Allen	WR	Questionable
Donald Butler	LB	Out

Player	Position	Status
Carlos Hyde	RB	Questionable
Frank Gore	RB	Questionable
Chris Borland	LB	Questionable

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

USA TODAY Sports

Count on San Diego in this showdown.

Rivers may be without his top wideout, but it is hard to see just how fired up the 49ers will be in a meaningless game with speculation surrounding the head coach.

If Oakland Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr can throw a trio of touchdowns in a ball-control offense against San Francisco, so too can Rivers. Expect Rivers to lead a plodding offense to a win while Harbaugh and Kaepernick watch from the sidelines.

Prediction: Chargers 24, 49ers 10

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).