Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers currently have nine wins through 13 games. They are right around where most people predicted them based on the preseason schedule. Of course, it’s been a wild ride along the way with many unexpected turns and unfortunate injuries. Nevertheless, the team is at over 90 percent to make the playoffs with four games to go.
How many games will the Niners win this season? Let’s walk through each of the remaining four games to see.
The Titans have two wins all season. One was a miraculous comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, where they were down 21-3 and outscored Arizona 16-0 in the fourth quarter. The other was last week, when the Titans had a one-play 65-yard touchdown and a blocked punt, yet still got outgained by the Browns 412-292.
Now might be a good time to highlight that Kyle Shanahan’s teams have a win percentage of over 69 percent after the bye week. Facing Tennessee, a team that has lost by double digits six times this season, is a favorable matchup and should allow the Niners to continue building on both sides of the ball.
Prediction: Win
Not only could the 49ers face a 44-year-old quarterback, but they could get Indianapolis without Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward. Mooney was placed on the Injured Reserve on Wednesday morning after suffering another concussion. The Colts’ defense is middle of the pack against the run and the pass. They held the Rams to 20 early in the season. Only three teams have scored more than 24 points in a game.
The offense is excellent under Shane Steichen, who is a masterful play-caller. It helps when you can turn around and hand it to Jonathan Taylor, but Steichen has some brilliant schemes that will challenge the 49ers’ defense.
They’ve played the 21st-toughest schedule. That’s another advantage for the 49ers, who are in the top five in strength of schedule. Will Robert Saleh trust his players in coverage to put pressure on Philip Rivers and speed him up? The Colts have some dangerous weapons, so it may be pick-your-poison.
The Colts are trending in the wrong direction, and they have been for the past five weeks. The questions at cornerback and the lack of pass rush for them favor the 49ers.
Prediction: Win
The Bears’ second-half performance against the Packers last week was as impressive as it gets. This Sunday Night Football matchup has the makings of being the game of the year in the NFC. Both teams will be hungry and needing a win for playoff purposes.
Both of these are top-10 offenses. The Bears have a creative running game with a dominant offensive line that gets plenty of push. Caleb Williams’ ability to extend plays will be a headache all night. It could be another situation where Saleh’s defense needs to be great in the red zone.
What may surprise some is that the Bears are statistically...
