The 49ers’ 2019 schedule was officially released Wednesday evening. We’ve known the opponents since the end of last season, but now we can parse the entire schedule with a little more context.
We combed through all 17 weeks and found a few interesting quirks in San Francisco’s 2019 slate:
Early bye week
The 49ers have a Week 4 bye in 2019 – their earliest bye week since 2002 when they also had Week 4 off. Their bye weeks from the last 10 years look like this:
2018: Week 11
2017: Week 11
2016: Week 8
2015: Week 10
2014: Week 8
2013: Week 9
2012: Week 9
2011: Week 7
2010: Week 9
2009: Week 6
A late-season bye is typically preferred because it’s a good time for beat up players to rest and get rejuvenated for a playoff run. For the 49ers it may benefit them to have an early bye with three key players, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kwon Alexander and Jerick McKinnon returning from torn ACLs. That extra week off early in the year might be a good opportunity for them to get fully healthy and back to 100 percent for the final 14 games.
The other positive note on the bye week is that it’s sandwiched between a pair of home games. Last year the 49ers had to trek to Tampa Bay after their bye week.
Home-heavy second half
San Francisco starts their season with back-to-back road games, and they play four of their first six on the road. That means the end of the year is full of home games. They play five of their final eight contests at Levi’s Stadium, including three in a row from Weeks 10-12. Getting home games late in the year makes up for the lack of a late bye week by cutting down on travel days. If the 49ers are going to make a playoff push – those late-season home games will be crucial.
Light travel mileage Weeks 3-13
On the surface the 49ers’ travel schedule looks brutal with road trips to Baltimore, Washington DC, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. They got lucky in how spread out those road trips are. They go back-to-back at the Buccaneers and at the Bengals to start the season, but then Weeks 3-12 they only go to Los Angeles, Arizona and Washington. Those three road trips in those 10 weeks will rack up about 7,900 miles. They’ll do about 10,500 miles in their first two road trips alone assuming they don’t spend the week somewhere closer to Cincinnati. Getting those cross-country trips spread out will help ease some of the burden of those long trips.
No 2018 playoff teams until Week 6
The 49ers finished with only four wins last season, so they play an ostensibly light schedule. Their entire 2019 slate features just two 2018 playoff teams from outside the division, and they don’t face any 2018 playoff teams until the visit the Rams in Week 6. They don’t see another playoff team until they host the Seahawks in Week 10, then they don’t play an out-of-division playoff opponent until they go to Baltimore in Week 13. They follow up the Baltimore game with a showdown against the Saints in New Orleans. Those will be two good measuring stick games for San Francisco if they’re going to be in the playoff hunt late in the year.
Extra day off after Thursday game
Thursday Night Football is a brutal undertaking for NFL teams, but the 49ers gets some of the burden alleviated by getting an extra off day after their Thursday night contest. They’ll visit the Cardinals on a Thursday night in Week 9, then they don’t play again until they host the Seahawks on a Monday night in Week 10. That short travel to Arizona, combined with a home Monday night game the following week is a very favorable setup for San Francisco.
Three prime time contests
The 49ers get three prime time games, including a pair of Monday night showdowns all within six weeks of each other. Their first Monday Night Football will come against the Browns at Levi’s Stadium in Week 5. Then they have their Thursday game in Arizona followed by their Monday night home game against the Seahawks. San Francisco got flexed out of a pair of Sunday night games last year. This year they’re not on the Sunday night slate. Their final five games against the Ravens, Saints, Falcons, Rams and Seahawks could all conceivably be moved to a prime time slot if the 49ers can keep themselves in the playoff picture into December.
