A first-place NFC West finish in 2019 made the 49ers’ 2020 schedule a little more daunting. While they got a small break facing an AFC East that no longer features Tom Brady, they have to travel to New Orleans, face Green Bay on a short week, and deal with what looks to be an improved NFC East.
We went through the 49ers’ 16 games and picked out the five most difficult non-divisional contests. Leaving out the NFC West doesn’t mean the division won’t be tough. In fact, it’s just the opposite. All six division games jump out when checking for difficult matchups. San Francisco went 5-1 in their division last season and only outscored opponents by 31 in their six games.
With the six NFC West showdowns accounted for, here are the other five most difficult games on the 49ers’ schedule:
Week 4 vs. Eagles
Philadelphia somehow made the playoffs last season despite most of their secondary and receiving corps sitting on the sideline with injuries. There was a legitimate chance they would’ve won their playoff game over the Seahawks too had Carson Wentz not gotten hurt early. Philadelphia is among the most talented teams in the league when they’re healthy, and they’re well-coached. The 49ers will be back home after two weeks in New York, which could lead to an added obstacle in an already hard game.
Week 7 at Patriots
Perhaps New England feels the loss of Tom Brady in such a way that not even Bill Belichick can overcome it. There’s a real chance the Patriots are just a run-of-the-mill mediocre team in 2020. Until that actually plays out on the field though, they have to be treated like a double-digit win club. Visiting Gillette Stadium isn’t easy, and even if their offense struggles, Belichick will have New England’s defense ready to play.
Week 10 at Saints
The Saints make the list solely because they’re arguably the best team in the NFC. That said, a couple factors could wind up making this one a little easier for the 49ers. If fans aren’t allowed at games, the Superdome becomes less of a home-field advantage for the Saints. There’s also the Thursday night factor with the 49ers coming off a long week of rest after facing the Packers the previous week on Thursday Night Football. All of those things aside, New Orleans gave the 49ers fits last year, and all signs point to this being another epic showdown.
Week 13 vs. Bills
A Monday night home date with the Buffalo Bills doesn’t jump off the screen as a daunting matchup given Buffalo’s recent history. However, head coach Sean McDermott got the Bills to the playoffs last year and probably should’ve won their wild-card game in Houston. Their defense is excellent, and their offense should be improved after the addition of Stefon Diggs in an offseason trade with the Vikings. Quarterback Josh Allen always makes things interesting, but this isn’t going to be a game the 49ers can sleepwalk through.
Week 15 at Cowboys
A new coach could change things for the better in Dallas after they spent years wasting premium talent. By Week 15, Mike McCarthy should have his team heading in the right direction with players all getting acclimated to their new system. CeeDee Lamb fell to them in the draft, and he lands on a loaded offense with Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper. It may not be super difficult to score on Dallas, but they’re going to put up points in bunches.
