The San Francisco 49ers faced a difficult schedule coming out of the gates this season. The Rams at home should have probably been a little more difficult, but even beyond that, traveling to Carolina and Seattle were not easy. The Cowboys are looking a lot better than many expected. The Cardinals are still the Cardinals, even with some early season struggles. And the Bills had been surging after an 0-2 start.
The 2016 schedule includes several difficult remaining games, but there are quite a few winnable games over the final 11 weeks. If we are talking about improved draft position, that is not exactly ideal, but it’s a fact. The Patriots, Falcons, Cardinals, and Seahawks all present plenty of challenges, but there are also some fairly awful teams on the schedule.
Our friends at Buffalo Rumblings came up with this chart of the strength of schedule the rest of the season. The 49ers SOS over their final 10 games, which is based on the current record of teams, is .466. That is 11th easiest in the NFL, and the fourth easiest among NFC teams. Here is the chart:
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Here is the 49ers remaining schedule. Looking at it, I could see potentially as many as three more wins. I think we could see them split between the Bucs and the Saints. I could see a win over the Dolphins or Bears, and I could see a win at home against the Jets. I don’t expect them to win in Los Angeles, but it’s not like the Rams are world beaters. And in Jeff Fisher’s never-ending bid for 7-9 and 8-8 seasons, if they have seven or eight wins heading into that game, maybe a win over the Rams is in the card! I don’t see wins against the Cardinals, Patriots, Falcons, or Seahawks. It is possible the 49ers only win one or two more games this season, but it is also possible they manage three or four more wins. That would likely represent an important swing in draft order.
Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 10: @ Arizona Cardinals
Week 11: vs. New England Patriots
Week 12: @ Miami Dolphins
Week 13: @ Chicago Bears
Week 14: vs. New York Jets
Week 15: @ Atlanta Falcons
Week 16: @ Los Angeles Rams
Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks