Predicting the 49ers record for the remainder of the season

The NFL’s ability to reel its fans in, only to disappoint them in a matter of weeks, will never get old. The unexpected is why we keep tuning in. For the San Francisco 49ers, there was hope after the Niners beat the Rams and the Patriots. It felt like the team regained its confidence and were on track to put a strong season together.

Then, Seattle happened. The line and quarterback crumbled while the defense couldn’t prevent the big play. San Francisco had an opportunity to bounce back, but explosive plays haunted the defense again, and the loss of Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kendrick Bourne was too much for the 49ers to overcome.

So, here we are, heading into Week 10 with the Niners sitting at 4-5. The Saints are the best team in the NFL per DVOA. After the Saints, the 49ers face the Rams, Bills, Washington, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Seahawks. There’s a chance that San Francisco makes the playoffs. There’s also a chance George Kittle returns to play this season. The odds of either happening are slim.

Seeing the opponents listed, what do you predict for the rest of the year record-wise, and has that changed after the Rams victory? Akash and I thought the 49ers would finish above .500 after shutting Jared Goff down on our podcast. Now? It’s hard to imagine the Niners reaching seven wins. Divisional games are a toss-up, and Washington and Dallas are two of the worst teams in football, but San Francisco has been hit with a slew of injuries that have eliminated any margin for error.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner predicted 6-10:

Final record prediction: 6-10. Finding many more wins for the 49ers as currently constructed is a difficult exercise given that five of their seven remaining games are against teams with winning records and playoff aspirations. At some point, the Niners will get some key players back from injury, but probably not enough to push them back into playoff contention.

I’ll go 7-9 with wins over Dallas, Washington, and Arizona. Seven feels like this team’s ceiling, with five being their floor. It’s challenging to figure this team out as we have zero idea which Nick Mullens will show up each Sunday. I went with seven wins because there is still enough talent on both sides of the ball to beat a quality team. San Francisco can’t afford to shoot themselves in the foot, though.

What are your predictions for the remainder of the season?