SANTA CLARA — The 49ers will go 14-3 this regular season. Yep, that's the prediction, leading into a Super Bowl return in New Orleans, where they'll beat Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers.
Too much of a stretch? Look, the 49ers went 12-5 last year, 13-4 in 2022, and they've posted double-digit wins in four of the past five seasons.
Their roster is still stacked (for at least one more season), especially on offense. They have a Pro Bowl quarterback (Brock Purdy), their backfield features the NFL's 2023 rushing king (Christian McCaffrey), the three-time All-Pro left tackle (Trent Williams) hasn't retired, their tight end (George Kittle) reclaimed First-Team All-Pro honors in a year Travis Kelce owned the spotlight, and their wide receivers all have something to prove.
That talented cast produced just 22 points – 19 in regulation – and that wasn't enough to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Welcoming the Detroit Lions back to Levi's Stadium on Dec. 30 certainly could pack heavy implications for the playoffs, where the 49ers rallied past the Lions to win last season's NFC championship.
And every division game carries extra weight, but the NFC West has yet to catch up to the two-time reigning champion 49ers.
That said, here are the five games that are most hazardous to the 49ers' path, and figure they lose two of them plus one more somewhere along the way:
Week 2 at Minnesota: The 49ers have lost their past seven visits to Minnesota, including a 22-17 defeat last season. Go back to December 1992 to uncover the last 49ers' win there, when Amp Lee accounted for their two touchdowns in a 20-17 victory. Sam Darnold, the presumptive Vikings' starter until J.J. McCarthy is ready, knows the 49ers' defensive scheme intimately after facing it as the scout-team quarterback last season. It's a 10 a.m. PT kickoff.
Week 7 vs. Kansas City: Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones own a 4-0 record against the 49ers, including Super Bowl wins in the 2019 and '23 seasons, as well as a Week 7 rout at Levi's Stadium in 2022. The Chiefs will be coming off their bye. Reid excels after byes.
Week 8 vs. Dallas: This letdown game comes after facing the Chiefs, whether it's another demoralizing loss or an emotional triumph. A loss here would impact the NFC playoff picture. The Cowboys will be coming off their bye, too.
Week 13 at Buffalo: No game poses more of a bad-weather challenge than a Dec. 1 visit to Orchard Park, N.Y., with an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. The 49ers are 2-3 all-time in Buffalo. They got clobbered 45-16 last visit in 2016 as part of the 2-14 pre-Shanahan team. This is not a recording: The Bills will be coming off their bye.
Week 17 at Detroit: Winning the prior Sunday in Miami could be more daunting in terms of a potential trap game if the 49ers' cross-country thoughts are consumed by this ensuing rematch with the Lions. Plus, the 49ers could be gassed from chasing the speedy Dolphins. Still, Detroit's expected encore from last season's emergence figures to give the 49ers their best competition for the NFC crown, again. What could go wrong with a prime-time home game in December?
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