The 49ers are riddled with injuries, but they’re nonetheless 4-1. They’re also set up with an easy schedule, positioning them to be the playoffs at the end of the season.
Recall heading into the season that the numbers suggested San Francisco would not only play the easiest schedule, but the easiest schedule of the last 10 years.
A month into the season, we can check into schedules, now using not 2024 records for what teams have done so far. The 49ers still show up near the top, but not with the eye-catching numbers that we saw in August.
San Francisco has games remaining against Carolina, Chicago, Tennessee and the Giants, which are about as good as you can get, but the NFC West might the hardest division. The 49ers have games remaining against Cleveland and Houston, who are both 1-3, but those teams are good defensively. And the Colts are playing better than anticipated.
San Francisco’s remaining schedule still projects to be significantly easier than the other three teams in their division, a benefit of finishing in last place in 2024.
Based on how teams have played so far, the Patriots, Saints and Jets project to play the easiest remaining schedules. They’re followed by three that look likely to be in the playoffs – Jaguars, 49ers, Bills.
Hardest remaining schedules: Texans, Commanders, Vikings.
REMAINING STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | Win | Loss | Tie | Pct |
New England | 19 | 33 | 0 | .365 |
New Orleans | 21 | 32 | 0 | .396 |
NY Jets | 22 | 29 | 1 | .433 |
Jacksonville | 23 | 30 | 0 | .434 |
San Francisco | 22 | 27 | 0 | .449 |
Buffalo | 24 | 28 | 0 | .462 |
Denver | 23 | 27 | 2 | .462 |
Miami | 24 | 28 | 0 | .462 |
Baltimore | 24 | 28 | 1 | .462 |
Cleveland | 25 | 28 | 0 | .472 |
Dallas | 25 | 27 | 0 | .481 |
Atlanta | 26 | 28 | 0 | .481 |
Tampa Bay | 26 | 28 | 0 | .481 |
Cincinnati | 25 | 26 | 1 | .490 |
LA Chargers | 25 | 26 | 1 | .490 |
Las Vegas | 25 | 26 | 1 | .490 |
Carolina | 26 | 26 | 2 | .500 |
Kansas City | 26 | 25 | 1 | .510 |
Pittsburgh | 26 | 25 | 1 | .510 |
Green Bay | 27 | 25 | 0 | .519 |
Philadelphia | 26 | 24 | 2 | .519 |
Seattle | 29 | 26 | 0 | .527 |
Chicago | 27 | 24 | 2 | .528 |
Indianapolis | 28 | 25 | 0 | .528 |
Tennessee | 28 | 25 | 0 | .528 |
LA Rams | 27 | 22 | 0 | .551 |
Arizona | 30 | 23 | 2 | .564 |
Detroit | 29 | 22 | 2 | .566 |
NY Giants | 29 | 22 | 2 | .566 |
Minnesota | 28 | 21 | 3 | .567 |
Washington | 29 | 21 | 2 | .577 |
Houston | 31 | 22 | 0 | .585 |
—Ian Allan