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What number of video games can San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman and the 49ers win within the 2020 season?
Bettering on a 13-Three season is a troublesome job for any NFL group, together with the San Francisco 49ers. Whereas the 49ers are not any stranger to sustained success within the league, simply profitable the division in back-to-back seasons is a critical accomplishment.
That is very true for San Francisco, because the NFC West appears to be like to be one of many NFL’s greatest divisions once more in 2020, because the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals will all area aggressive groups.
Issues don’t get a lot simpler outdoors of the division for the 49ers, and the stretch from Week 6 to Week 10 was instantly noteworthy when the schedule was launched. That being mentioned, listed here are our early win-loss predictions for San Francisco in 2020.
Week 1: Arizona Cardinals
This will likely be a enjoyable one. The arrival of large receiver DeAndre Hopkins immediately made the Arizona Cardinals offense extra deadly, and, after Arizona QB Kyler Murray’s flashes of brilliance in his rookie 12 months, they should be an explosive connection.
Nevertheless, the 49ers get to catch them very early in a season that can already be affected by a novel offseason. On high of that, the 49ers’ protection greatest power is pressuring and attacking quarterbacks, averaging three sacks a sport in 2019 as San Francisco tied-for-fourth for essentially the most sacks within the league.
The hiccup that might occur is the 49ers’ offense struggling early. They don’t need this to be an in depth sport in the direction of the top, so that they’ll hope for QB Jimmy Garoppolo to fireplace typically and early.
Prediction: Win, 1-0
Week 2: @New York Jets
Even when the 49ers find yourself regressing in 2020, they need to possible win this sport based mostly on evaluating one roster to the opposite.
Nevertheless, the New York Jets did quietly go 6-2 within the back-half of final season and can be ok with the place they’re at. Jets QB Sam Darnold is enhancing and changing into smarter with the soccer, but it surely appears unlikely the New York offense may have sufficient horsepower to beat the San Francisco protection.
Prediction: Win, 2-0
Week 3: @New York Giants
The second of the 49ers’ back-to-back video games at MetLife Stadium may very well be equally tough for San Francisco. Quite a lot of the problem of this sport hangs on if Giants RB Saquon Barkley is wholesome, and if QB Daniel Jones is enhancing after his rookie season.
However even with a stable New York offense, the Giants didn’t enhance a lot on a protection that allowed 28.2 factors per sport final season. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan ought to have the ability to put collectively a profitable offensive plan.
Prediction: Win, 3-0
Week 4: Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles share an analogous identification to the 49ers, in the truth that the protection stays gifted and the offense has an inventory of weapons that the majority groups wouldn’t thoughts having.
Additions like cornerback Darius Slay and former 49er WR Marquise Goodwin within the offseason add priceless items to the core of a group that gained the Tremendous Bowl not that way back. If Eagles QB Carson Wentz can get nearer to his pre-injury play in 2017, they’ll be harmful.
However not harmful sufficient to beat the 49ers on the street in a primetime Sunday Night time Soccer matchup.
Prediction: Win, 4-0
Week 5: Miami Dolphins
There’s lots to love concerning the Miami Dolphins. Anytime a group brings in a wave of younger expertise, spearheaded by QB Tua Tagovailoa, the probabilities are thrilling.
However, in actuality, this is among the longest street journeys Miami will take all season and will likely be a troublesome one for a rookie QB and a group nonetheless placing collectively its identification.
Prediction: Win, 5-0
Week 6: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a conundrum. They’ve immense expertise all throughout the group, but it surely looks like they’re solely regressing since their latest Tremendous Bowl look as now-Atlanta Falcon RB Todd Gurley’s departure now leaves QB Jared Goff and WRs Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp as the one notable weapons.
The Rams have the potential for a playoff season, however from the present perspective, they’re a group that’s worse than San Francisco in virtually each space.
Prediction: Win, 6-0
Week 7: @New England Patriots
No disrespect to New England Patriots QB Jarett Stidham, but it surely looks like New England is wanting towards the draft subsequent 12 months because the heir-apparent to legendary QB Tom Brady.
Anticipate a Invoice Belichick-coached group to place a battle, particularly at Gillette Stadium, however even after an extended street journey, that is one the 49ers needs to be closely favored in.
Prediction: Win, 7-0
Week 8: @Seattle Seahawks
That is the place issues get robust. After getting back from Foxborough, the 49ers should journey to Seattle to tackle a Seahawks group that ought to have a file near San Francisco’s, perhaps with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings or Dallas Cowboys.
With Century Hyperlink Area probably not having followers in attendance, this may very well be much less threatening than earlier years, however the journey, schedule, and high quality of Seattle will likely be an especially robust ask of the 49ers.
Prediction: Loss, 7-1
Week 9: Inexperienced Bay Packers
A standard thought across the NFL is that Inexperienced Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will come out with a vengeance, particularly towards San Francisco after dropping to the 49ers within the NFC Championship sport then having his potential successor Jordan Love drafted by Inexperienced Bay within the first spherical of the NFL Draft.
Nevertheless, the true cause why the 49ers possible win this sport is as a result of the Packers should journey to Santa Clara, Florida for a Thursday evening sport after a three-week stretch towards the Vikings and on the street to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans.
Prediction: Win, 8-1
Week 10: @New Orleans Saints
Once more, simply one other actually robust opponent. Whereas the 49ers have been capable of steal a victory in New Orleans final 12 months, this an especially robust sport once more.
There’s undoubtedly a situation the place Jimmy G and the 49ers create sufficient magic to win, but it surely simply looks like an excessive amount of to ask after the stretch of video games to that time.
Prediction: Loss, 8-2
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: @Los Angeles Rams
The Rams get this one at house however do catch the 49ers off of their bye week. And if issues don’t go properly for the Rams early within the season, this may very well be a sport that San Francisco is favored by a few scores.
Prediction: Win, 9-2
Week 13: Buffalo Payments
The Buffalo Payments are an fascinating entity. They’ve solely grown in high quality over the previous two seasons, and the latest addition of WR Stephon Diggs may convey that offense to the following degree.
On high of that, the Payments protection ought to return to be one of many NFL’s greatest. This one may very well be billed as a low-scoring “slobberknocker,” which truthfully doesn’t go well with the 49ers towards a group like Buffalo, even in a Monday evening sport on the West Coast.
Prediction: Loss, 9-3
Week 14: Washington Redskins
Like Miami, there’s numerous younger expertise on the Washington Redskins, however a while and distance between Washington and being a high group within the league.
In what needs to be a enjoyable sport for brand new 49ers deal with Trent Williams, San Francisco ought to simply deal with this one.
Prediction: Win, 10-3
Week 15: @Dallas Cowboys
Sunday Night time soccer at Jerry World. Apart from being a basic matchup between two of the NFL’s most embellished franchises, it is going to possible even be a sport with main playoff implications.
The Cowboys should be a lock-in playoff group. The protection has been steadily stable for the previous of couple seasons, and with one other huge offensive addition in WR CeeDee Lamb, this will likely be a serious check for San Francisco.
Prediction: Loss, 10-4
Week 16: @Arizona Cardinals
It was talked about that catching the Cardinals early would make the sport a bit simpler for San Francisco. Catching them on the finish of the season, in Arizona, will drastically have an effect on the sport.
That is the kind of situation through which Murray may win a sport by himself, even with the standard of the 49ers protection.
Prediction: Loss, 10-5
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Week 17: Seattle Seahawks
With back-to-back late-season losses, some may suppose there’s a trigger for alarm, however San Francisco should be ensured a playoff spot by these losses anyhow.
With the need to get the Seahawks again for the loss earlier within the season and playoff seeding on the road, San Francisco will finish the season with a house win and probably the NFC West title.
Prediction: Win, 11-5
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter masking the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and native sports activities for the Montana Customary in Butte, MT. Comply with and attain out to him on Twitter at @evanreier.