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What will you be watching for in 49ers-Chargers?

The 49ers are out of the playoff race, changing the dynamic of Week 16 and 16. How do you approach it?

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers face the San Diego Chargers later this evening, and it almost feels like a preseason game. The 49ers are playing for pride, but one has to imagine some measure of future assessment will be going on as well. It could be important current options like Colin Kaepernick, Marcus Martin (if he plays), Aaron Lynch and others, or it could be bigger long-term question marks like Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial.

Wins are always welcome, especially when it involves quality football from the 49ers, but in reality, the final score is not nearly as important as it was through the first 14 games. With that in mind, what will you be watching for in tonight's game? Will you focus on specific players, or will you look at the whole thing and just hope for general improvement and a good showing?

For me, over these final two weeks I'd like to see some measure of consistency from Kap. We've seen him do some great things for stretches, but it can be a struggle putting it all together for a full 60 minutes with any measure of consistency. Some of that is on him, some of it is on his supporting cast, some of it is on the coaching staff. I think he can still be an essential part of their future, but it would be nice to see him finish on a strong note.

On the defensive side of the ball, Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Dontae Johnson, and Aaron Lynch are three guys I'll be watching particularly closely. Add in the former practice squad cornerbacks in Leon McFadden and Marcus Cromartie, and it's all about the young talent today and next Sunday.