49ers 2023 schedule release: The Niners will be in the holiday spirit this season

The NFL schedule is finally here. The San Francisco 49ers will play on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Here’s the complete schedule.

Week 1: @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, September 10, 10:00 a.m.

• The Niners defense gets a chance to get their feet wet against Kenny Pickett
• How many times will we see T.J. Watt versus Trent Williams?
• Minkah Fitzpatrick against George Kittle is another marquee matchup

Week 2: @ Los Angeles Rams - Sunday, September 17, 1:05 p.m. PT

• Getting a Sean McVay team early in the season before he can figure things out is a plus for the Niners
• The Rams are expected to look...a lot different this year. That will be reflected in their record
• Still, you can’t take a divisional opponent lightly.

Week 3: Home opener vs. New York Giants - Sunday, September 24, 5:20 p.m. PT

• Nick Bosa going against Andrew Thomas immediately jumps out
• Two of the best offensive minds in the game are featured with Kyle Shanahan and Brian Daboll
• No matter how you slice it, losing to Daniel Jones can’t happen if the 49ers are to be considered a Super Bowl contender — even on a short week

Week 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals - Sunday, October 1, 1:25 p.m. PT

• Kyler Murray will reportedly be out until Week 5
• We’ve seen the 49ers fall to a backup quarterback in Arizona before
• But this roster is much, much stronger. And the expectations are higher

Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys - Sunday, October 8, 5:20 p.m. PT

• This will be a playoff rematch and the team’s second prime-time game in three weeks
• The 49ers have had the Cowboys number in recent seasons; controlling the line of scrimmage has been a big reason why
• CeeDee Lamb is a tough cover and now Dallas adds speedster Brandin Cooks into the mix

Week 6: @ Cleveland Browns - Sunday, October 15, 10:00 a.m. PT

• Which version of Deshaun Watson will we get? The one that played last year was subpar
• San Francisco matches up well with the Browns as they don’t have any true “burners,” unless you still count former Niner, Marquise Goodwin
• Slowing down Nick Chubb is a difficult task for any defense

Week 7: @ Minnesota Vikings - Monday, October 23, 5:15 p.m. PT

• Kyle vs. Kirk under the lights
• Justin Jefferson versus anybody is advantage, Jefferson
• This will be the third week in a row where the 49ers pose too many weapons offensively for their opponent

Week 8: vs. Cincinnati Bengals - Sunday, October 29, 1:25 p.m. PT

• Even though the 49ers played on Monday night the week prior, there’s enough star potential in this game to be flexed into prime-time
• The run of offenses the 49ers face will test the defense, to say the least
• We’ll see how much the cornerbacks and secondary will have progressed by Week 8

Week 9: Bye

• A much-needed breather

Week 10: @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Sunday, November 12, 10:00 a.m. PT

• This would have been a tricky spot for the Niners from a scheduling standpoint. But this comes after a bye week. Still, having to go across the country always presents itself as a potential letdown spot
• If Trevor Lawrence continues to ascend into a star, this will also serve as a challenge for the secondary
• It’s still the AFC South, and their teams will be labeled under, “I’ll believe it when I see it” until further notice

Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Sunday, November 19, 1:05 p.m. PT

• Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask?
• It shouldn’t matter
• Coming back home before a short turn around against the Seahawks...

Week 12: @ Seattle Seahawks - Thursday, November 23, 5:15 p.m. PT

• The 49ers are hoping to eat a different kind of bird on Turkey day
• As much as Seattle has improved during this offseason, I feel like they’re in for some serious regression this season
• Will Jamal Adams be healthy for this game? Shanahan has targeted him in coverage when he’s been on the field

Week 13: @ Philadelphia Eagles - Sunday, December 12, 1:25 p.m. PT

• This has all the makings of a game that’ll be flexed into prime-time, regardless of the other games on the schedule
• The NFL did the 49ers a solid, giving them a mini bye before this game.
• Javon Hargrave r-e-v-e-n-g-e game

Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks - Sunday, Decmeber 10, 1:05 p.m. PT

• If Jacksonville was a letdown spot, this is another schedule situation that feels tricky for the 49ers, even if it’s a home game

Week 15: @ Arizona Cardinals - Sunday, December 17. 1:05 p.m. PT

• Kyler Murray should be healthy for this matchup
• Even if he is, the Cardinals are expected to be among the worst teams in the NFL
• Can you name five players on the Cardinals defense?

Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens - Monday, December 25, 5:15 p.m. PT

• Lamar Jackson and a much-improved Ravens offense are coming to town for the holiday
• Baltimore’s defense was simply not good for long stretches last year, and they’ve done little to improve things on that side of the ball
• This could be a high scoring game if both offenses are clicking. We’ve seen the Niners struggle against mobile QBs. Lamar is on a different level

Week 17: at Washington Commanders - Sunday, December 31, 10:00 a.m. PT

• Will Sam Howell really be the starter still?
• If you’re the 49ers, you’re hoping so
• Either way, Washington seemed to battle and keep games close, regardless of their opponent last year

Week 18: vs. Rams - Sunday, January 7, 1:05 p.m. PT

• Los Angeles could be playing for the No. 1 overall pick the way their roster looks as of today
• Will Matthew Stafford make it through the season?
• In the same vein as the Cardinals, name three non Aaron Donald players on the Rams defense

If you fancy going to any of the 49ers’ 2023 season games in person, check out StubHub for tickets.