San Francisco 49ers' easiest stretch of the season should have them in excellent shape for Super Bowl rematch
The San Francisco 49ers' 2024 schedule is far from easy. In fact, per Sharp Football Analysis, it is the 14th-toughest in the NFL by the projected win totals of the Niners' opponents. But the 49ers do have the benefit of a soft start, one that could have them full of confidence and in an an […]
The San Francisco 49ers' 2024 schedule is far from easy.
In fact, per Sharp Football Analysis, it is the 14th-toughest in the NFL by the projected win totals of the Niners' opponents.
But the 49ers do have the benefit of a soft start, one that could have them full of confidence and in an an excellent position once the game every San Francisco fan will have circled rolls around in Week 7.
Though the 49ers have what, on paper, looks to be tough opener in a home primetime clash with the New York Jets, their subsequent run of games gives the Niners a clear opportunity to quickly put themselves in a commanding spot in the race for the NFC playoffs.
Indeed, as Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis details, the 49ers face the easiest schedule in the NFL over the first six weeks of the campaign. After facing Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in primetime, the 49ers meet only one team projected to have more than eight wins (at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3) over the subsequent five games.
The 49ers are 9-1 in their last 10 regular-season games against the Rams, their one defeat coming in Week 18 last term in a game that saw both teams rest starters. That game was at Levi's Stadium, the 49ers have never lost a regular-season game at SoFi Stadium.
Should they beat the Jets, the 49ers look to have a clear path towards being 6-0 by the time they renew acquaintances with the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium for a rematch of Super Bowl 58.
Of course, no game should ever be taken as a given in the NFL and, as the 49ers' closest challengers in the NFC West, the Rams will be determined to end their wait for a home win over San Francisco in the regular season.
And it is not those first six games, but rather that Week 7 encounter with the Chiefs, that will serve as a measuring stick for the 49ers as they aim to prove they can get over the hump after losing the Super Bowl in overtime in February.
Yet the advantageous schedule the 49ers have in the run up to facing Kansas City gives them the opportunity to build substantial confidence with a string of victories that would limit the impact of a loss to the Chiefs on their playoff positioning.
The 49ers could be forgiven for having one eye on the rematch with Kansas City, but they should not overlook the teams they face beforehand nor the chance a very friendly slate of games provides them as they attempt to climb the mountain again.
The NFL is trying to give the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 opponents all the help they can get
They’ll be at a disadvantage.
