The San Francisco 49ers have been the dominant force in the NFC since the 2019 season. They’re the current NFC Champions and will look to improve on that.
San Francisco comes into the 2024 season with extremely high expectations and the schedule reveal earlier in the week did nothing to lower those expectations. They have six games in primetime which is tied for the most in the league. They also get a chance to renew several rivalries while in addition getting a chance at revenge for their loss in the Super Bowl.
They have to go up against the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, two teams that they dispatched in the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys come up on the schedule as well, renewing their fierce rivalry. The Seahawks are always a massive challenge and the Rams are coming off of their own return to the playoffs.
Starting quarterback Brock Purdy was an MVP candidate last season and will be looking to repeat his performances from the 2023 season. Running back Christian McCaffery is coming off of the best season of his career where he won Offensive Player of the Year and leads a stacked offense that includes Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle.
The defense isn’t as impressive on paper as it was last season. Despite that, they’re likely to be a top-five unit led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The 49ers are favored to win every game this season and will be a force to deal with this season.
San Francisco 49ers: Easiest Stretch
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It’s hard to call any stretch of this schedule easy. There is a two-game run where the San Francisco 49ers will get to play against the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals at home. Other than these two games, almost every team that goes up against San Francisco is either a playoff team from last season or a team expected to make the playoffs this season.
The Patriots have a brand new starting quarterback in Drake Maye. Maye doesn’t have a lot to work with on the offense despite being the presumed future of the franchise as the third overall draft pick. The defense is a stronger unit than the offense, but that’s not saying much.
The Arizona Cardinals have been slightly revamped with top draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. coming to the desert in the draft. The defense last season led the way to some upset victories over teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, but they aren’t expected to be a factor in the NFC yet. Both teams should be speed bumps for the San Francisco 49ers.
This will be a perfect time for first-round draft pick Rickey Pearsall to show what he can do in the starting lineup. These games fall between weeks four and five and could be a time when the team will be looking to give the rookie some snaps over Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, or Brandon Aiyuk. Rookie second-round pick Renardo Green could show off his abilities at the cornerback position as well in these two games.
San Francisco 49ers: Toughest Stretch
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Every game that the San Francisco 49ers will play is going to be against a top-level team. The toughest stretch has to be between week six through week eight. In those weeks, the 49ers will go on the road to play at the Seattle Seahawks before coming home to play against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
The Seahawks and 49ers rivalry has been one of the biggest rivalries in the league since 2010. The Seahawks have matched up well with the Niners despite getting swept last season. They have a new head coach this season in Mike MacDonald, the former Defensive Coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, and will look to bounce back this season.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl much like they did in the 2019 Super Bowl. As a result, the 49ers will be looking for revenge. They’ve never beaten Patrick Mahomes in his career so this matchup will come with a lot of pressure and stakes especially since both are favorites to make the Super Bowl this season.
The Dallas Cowboys might be the Niners’ biggest rival. The Cowboys also have been eliminated by the Niners in the playoffs in 2021 and 2022 and were completely embarrassed at Levi Stadium last season by San Francisco. They’re returning this season hoping to avenge themselves while the 49ers are hoping that Brock Purdy manages to continue San Francisco’s recent domination over their foes.
San Francisco 49ers: Important Games
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One of the most important games of the season will be the first game of the season. While it could be seen as cliche, the San Francisco 49ers will be opening the season against future Hall of Famer and returning legend Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets in primetime. Rodgers has a record of 0-4 in the playoffs against San Francisco but a 6-3 record in the regular season and will be returning from a torn Achilles.
Aaron Rodgers’ former team, the Green Bay Packers, will welcome the San Francisco 49ers to Lambeau Field for a playoff rematch in week 12. The 49ers have eliminated the Packers five straight times in the postseason dating back to 2012, which has only fueled the rivalry. In 2023, the Niners eliminated the Packers again in the playoffs, which the Packers will be looking to avenge on their way back to the postseason in 2024.
Divisional games are always important games and the rivalry with the Los Angeles Rams always produces exciting games. These will be the first matchups without Rams legend and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald since 2013, and the teams will square off in weeks three and fifteen. Both teams made the playoffs last season and are favorites to win the NFC West in 2024.
The most anticipated game of the season for the San Francisco 49ers might be the NFC Championship rematch with the Detroit Lions in week 17. Both teams are favored to match up once again in the NFC Championship Game, and their week 17 clash might be a preview of things to come. This could be the game of the year for the entire league after we all witnessed their exciting clash last season.
About The Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti
