Niners Nation
The 49ers have a tough second half to their schedule, but should return some key players.
The San Francisco 49ers are entering the bye week at 4-4, as they look to reset and get some key pieces back before an important second half of the schedule.
It hasn't been the start that San Francisco expected to start the year, but the 49ers had a key win over the Dallas Cowboys this past weekend to reach .500 and be tied for first place in the NFC West heading into a much-needed bye week.
Now, looking ahead to the second half of the schedule, the 49ers have a tough schedule ahead of them. So, how many games will San Francisco ultimately win in 2024?
The 49ers have two get-right games that should be seen as needed wins heading out of the bye week.
First, they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers in Week 10 in a game between two playoff contenders. However, they’ll face Tampa without their top two receivers, as Chris Godwin is out for the year, while Mike Evans isn’t expected to be back from his hamstring injury.
While the Buccaneers have looked good this year, the 49ers usually are able to defend checkdowns well, and quarterback Baker Mayfield targeted his tight ends and running backs a good amount without his top two receivers in last week’s win over the Falcons.
Following that, San Francisco has a home contest against the Seattle Seahawks, who they’ve already beaten this year on the road. The 49ers have matched up well against Seattle during the Geno Smith tenure, winning each of the five games against the Seahawks quarterback.
If the 49ers get out of this two-game stretch at 6-4, they’re looking good heading into a tough road stretch over the next two weeks.
The 49ers have back-to-back road games in Weeks 12 and 13, facing off against the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills in consecutive weeks.
Both teams have enjoyed strong starts to the 2024 season, and the 49ers will likely go into a colder environment in both late November games, which could make it tougher to beat a difficult opponent.
With the way both teams are playing, it’s entirely possible that the 49ers lose both games, but if they can pull off one victory in these two contests, they’ll be in good shape heading into the final stretch of the year.
A 1-1 split would put them at 7-5, which would likely have them at No. 1 in the NFC West heading into Week 14.
The 49ers then return home for two home games, facing the Chicago Bears in Week 14 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15.
Heading into the year, many penciled these two games as wins, but it may not be so simple.
The Bears possess one of the league’s best defenses, and their offense has continued to emerge...
