The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC continues.

This Week 17 matchup between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers will feature two playoff teams with 11-4 records. Both can clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference if they win out and have the Seattle Seahawks (12-4) lose a game.

After the 49ers, the Bears will close out their regular season against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The 49ers will host the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Week 18.

That final game against the Lions won’t matter if the Bears don’t come away with a win against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football.

Here are the five players who will have a major influence on the Week 17 matchup in Santa Clara, Calif.

Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds

The Bears’ linebacker made his return against the Green Bay Packers after missing four games with a groin injury. In the 22-16 win over the Packers, Edmunds finished with six total tackles and recovered a fumble caused by Nashon Wright deep in the third quarter.

With how 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan runs his offense, Edmunds will have plenty to decipher, given the numerous presnap motions, shifts, and misdirections that occur on any given snap.

Edmunds needs to trust his eyes and instincts so he can play fast against a well-coached 49ers offense that hasn’t punted since the team’s Week 13 matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 30.

Bears DL Gervon Dexter Sr.

The Bears’ defensive lineman has had a quiet stretch of games since the Week 12 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Dexter has just one sack in the last six games and has five total on the season, which is tied for his career high.

However, Dexter does have 13 total quarterback pressures in his last four games, but he needs to find a way to turn those plays into sacks, especially against 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

According to Next Gen Stats, Purdy has an NFL-leading 130.0 passer rating on third downs this season. Dexter will have to prove he can help limit the 49ers’ production on first and second down to make those third-down situations tougher for Purdy to convert.

Bears WR Luther Burden III

After missing last week’s game against the Packers with an ankle injury, Burden is positioned to return for Sunday night’s game versus the 49ers. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice and had no injury designation.

[READ: Bears injury report: Luther Burden III will play 49ers; Rome Odunze remains out]

The Bears’ rookie wide receiver was the team’s leading receiver in the 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns. He caught six passes on seven targets for 84 yards.

The 49ers have struggled to apply pressure all season, generating just 18 total sacks, which is last in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ers have three of the 10 defensive tackles with the lowest pressure rate generated this season (minimum 200 pass rushes) in Kalia Davis, Jordan Elliott and Alfred Collins.

With the 49ers’ inability to create consistent pressure, this should allow Caleb Williams to find receivers downfield, and Burden could be in for a big receiving day.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

This 49ers’ offense runs through McCaffrey, and that’s not an exaggeration.

The veteran running back leads the team in rushing and receiving. He has 280 carries for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns, and has 92 receptions for 849 yards and seven touchdowns.

According to Next Gen Stats, McCaffrey leads the NFL with 372 touches, 43 more than any other player.

Shanahan will find different ways to get his best playmaker the ball, and it will take all 11 players on defense to help contain one of the NFL’s most versatile players.

49ers LB Dee Winters

The former sixth-round draft pick from TCU in 2023 is having a career season.

Winters leads the 49ers with 92 total tackles, which is 16 more than fellow linebacker Tatum Bethune.

The 25-year-old linebacker made arguably his biggest play of the season in the Monday night victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. The 49ers were up 41-27 late in the fourth quarter, and then Winters extended the lead after he intercepted Philip Rivers and returned the interception 74 yards for a pick-6 to help San Francisco win 48-27.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson praised defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for how hard his unit plays. Winters is a good example of that defensive mentality, and the Bears’ offense will have to keep tabs on him throughout the game.