The 49ers’ playoff hopes took a massive hit Monday night when they lost to the Bills. While they’re not out of it yet, they need not only to win at least three of their next four, but they need a ton of help. The good news is their strength of schedule paints a picture that shows a realistic path to three or four victories over the final four weeks.
ESPN’s Mike Clay on Wednesday released his projected strength of schedule over the final quarter of the season. San Francisco’s final four opponents – Washington, Dallas, Arizona and Seattle – are among the easiest quartet of teams left on an NFL schedule.
The 49ers hold onto the seventh-easiest schedule strength per Clay:
NFL Rest-of-Season Strength of Schedule (green = easiest)#clayprojections pic.twitter.com/LnJ0dtWOPO
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) December 9, 2020
While Washington is playing its best football of the year, they’re not a juggernaut and they travel across the country. Dallas is struggling. So are the Cardinals, and the Seahawks offense has started to look something less than unstoppable over the last few weeks.
Games aren’t won on paper though and the 49ers are struggling over the last several weeks. Their lone victory since Week 8 came in Week 12 against the Rams, and even that required a last-second field goal in a game where they generated four turnovers.
If the hope is going to stay alive though, Clay’s projections provide perhaps the best possible silver lining heading into a tough Week 14 showdown with the Washington Football Team.
