The show goes on.

Even after the 49ers lost 34-7 last night, at 5-9 with two divisional games remaining, they have not yet been eliminated from playoff contention.

St. Louis and Seattle will have to lose this weekend to keep the 49ers playoff hopes alive. But there’s a possibility that both could do just that.

St. Louis hosts an 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs team that has an ailing Matt Cassel at quarterback, who is questionable to start after missing last week’s 31-0 loss to San Diego due to an emergency appendectomy surgery.

Seattle also has a home game against an 11-2 Atlanta Falcons squad looking to retain first place in the NFC South and their one game lead for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

It’s not over yet for the 49ers, but many players were solemn in speaking with the media last night and on Friday.

There was not much to be said a day after a crushing defeat to the Chargers. It was probably the quietest the 49ers locker room has been all season. The prideful players know they let an opportunity slip out of their reach in San Diego.

“You know what the most frustrating thing is about tonight? It’s not about having to sit back and wait for other teams to see what they do. But it’s knowing we had the opportunity to be sitting in the driver’s seat after tonight,” linebacker Takeo Spikes said postgame after recording 12 tackles with a broken right hand.

“The facts are we still have a chance and I’m very grateful. I relayed to the guys, be grateful. There are a lot of teams that don’t.

“We still have a chance and to me, that’s bigger than anything. That’s what I’m hanging my hat on. That’s my motivation.”

One day later, Mike Singletary said he’s focused solely on St. Louis, who the 49ers will play in nine days.

“As tough of a loss as it was night for us, there’s still an opportunity at hand,” the 49ers head coach said in his press briefing. “We’re to get ready for St. Louis and get ready for a tough division foe.”

The 49ers beat the Rams at home back on Nov. 14, thanks to a career day from quarterback Troy Smith.

Singletary said he’s yet to determine if he’ll make a move back to Troy, who performed well against St. Louis once prior.

“We’re looking at film and we’ll handle it down the road,” he said.

Singletary didn’t want to spend too much time wallowing over the San Diego loss. “For me the quicker we put San Diego behind us – the better,” he said.

Injury Report

The following injuries were announced by Singletary at the start of his press conference: Linebacker Travis LaBoy (knee sprain), running back Anthony Dixon (ankle sprain), safety Dashon Goldson (finger dislocated), linebacker Manny Lawson (thigh contusion), and cornerback Nate Clements (ankle).

Growing up in nearby Kentfield, Calif., Travis LaBoy regularly attended games at Candlestick Park and was raised on some of the best moments in 49ers history.

Fast forward to Sunday’s 40-21 win over Seattle, the 29-year-old pass-rushing linebacker was making those moments himself, having a hand in the biggest win of the 49ers season so far.

The free agent acquisition registered a “trifecta” on Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the second quarter, sacking him, forcing a fumble and recovering it with one quick swoop of his right arm. The second of five Seattle’s turnovers set up Josh Morgan’s 15-yard touchdown catch which gave the 49ers an insurmountable 20-7 lead.

To LaBoy, being a part of such plays was all the more rewarding. After all, who knows exactly what Sunday’s victory meant to the team and the whole Bay Area more than the sixth-year pro who grew up cheering for the 49ers?

“It was definitely fun, anytime you’re winning its fun. Nobody likes losing,” said LaBoy one day after the 49ers improved to 5-8 and are now one game out of first place with three games left. “If we keep winning, the fun times will keep rolling.”

But a “fun time” is not how the 49ers view Thursday night’s matchup against Philip Rivers and the high-powered San Diego Chargers offense.

“With Rivers, you see the stats he’s putting up. It’s more of a challenge, trying to stop one of the top offenses in the league right now,” LaBoy added.

The 49ers have Monday off, and will return to the practice fields the following day before flying out to San Diego on Wednesday. With the preparation time being so limited, coach Mike Singletary is completely focused on the task at hand – beating San Diego on the road.

“You’re just trying to make sure that you have everything where it needs to be, making sure that your players are at that mental state of mind, and trying to figure out practice, trying to look at some of the injuries, even though they are day-to-day, trying to figure out how to manage those things, and at the same time, putting a game plan together. So that’s where my mind is.”

Notes and Quotes

The best thing Alex Smith did on Sunday, wasn’t the three first-half touchdowns or the 130.9 quarterback rating he finished with – it was just him being himself, tight end Delanie Walker said.

“He was the same dude. Alex doesn’t change,” Walker added. “He’s going to be the same person. That’s the good thing about him. He doesn’t act brand new. He did a good job of just being himself.”

Rookie guard Mike Iupati suffered a shoulder stinger on Sunday, but Singletary said “thankfully” it’s only a day-to-day injury.

Singletary was pleased with the bounce-back performance by the secondary. “They did a nice job,” he said. “They read their keys, they tackled better, they, as a defense, they did a nice job. They were just patient. Everybody did their job, everybody was on the same page, communicated well and it worked out well.”

The short turnaround won’t be an excuse for the 49ers this week. Knowing what needs to be done, it’s on them to make it happen.

“It’s football,” Walker explained. “If they tell me to play on Tuesday, I’m going to play on Tuesday. That’s just part of our jobs. It’s a live game, everybody’s going to watch and I like playing on live television. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity.”