Not much comes easy in the NFL, and the San Francisco 49ers 2018 schedule does not look like that of a fourth-place team from last year.
However, it does soften in the second half of the season and, with Jimmy Garoppolo under center and improvements made on both sides of the ball, there are teams the Niners will have been underdogs against in the past who they will now view as opposition they should beat.
Here we look at the eight games the 49ers will view as favorable and rank their easiest matchups in 2018.
San Francisco 49ers Easiest Games in 2018
9. Week 14 – Denver Broncos
Pairing Von Miller with Bradley Chubb should enable the Denver pass rush to thrive, but it’s difficult to envisage the Broncos offense keeping up with that of the Niners.
Case Keenum does not have the same caliber of supporting cast he had in Minnesota and will be playing with an inferior offensive line.
Indeed, the Broncos O-Line was rated 29th in pass protection by Football Outsiders in 2017. That unit has not been improved and Denver’s options at running back and tight end are uninspiring.
History is instructive and Denver’s struggles in protecting the quarterback suggest San Francisco should be able to prevent the Broncos from producing enough offensively to stay in the game.
10. Week 10 – New York Giants
The C.J. Beathard-led 49ers eased past the Giants last year and there is little to suggest the outcome won’t be the same in 2018.
Eli Manning has an extremely exciting supporting cast that now features a generational running back in Saquon Barkley, yet there are still numerous issues with the Giants’ roster.
Right tackle is a huge area of concern for an offensive line that has consistently struggled to protect Manning, who won’t be able to take advantage of his many weapons should his struggles throwing downfield continue.
Furthermore, the improvements to a pass defense that ranked 31st in the league last year have been scant. Players on both sides of the ball should be salivating at the thought of facing the Giants before the bye.
11. Week 9 – Oakland Raiders
The final ‘Battle of the Bay’ may not be much of a battle.
Jon Gruden has restocked a Raiders offense that has plenty of talent, though Jordy Nelson may be past his best, but the Niners will have high hopes of exploiting the Oakland defense.
The Raiders were 30th in the NFL in Football Outsiders pass defense DVOA in a dismal 2017 for Oakland.
Save for adding linebacker Tahir Whitehead, it is tough to see where they have made clear-cut improvements on defense.
It is a matchup that seems made for Garoppolo and the Niners to rack up points. Providing they at least slow down the Raiders offense, the 49ers should have plenty of confidence of emerging victorious.
12. Week 15 – Seattle Seahawks
It was evident last year that the gap between the Seahawks and 49ers was closing. San Francisco had opportunities to win in Seattle in a 12-9 defeat in Week Two in 2017, and that was with Brian Hoyer at quarterback.
The 49ers now have Garoppolo and the better level of talent of the two rosters as the Seahawks’ core has gradually disintegrated.
In a game that may well have playoff implications, the 49ers crowd should be in full-throated support of Richard Sherman as he faces his old team for the second time in three weeks.
Indeed, this is a 49er fanbase desperate for revenge on the Seahawks after suffering years of misery at their hands. Expect some to be exacted in this one.
13. Week Five – Arizona Cardinals
After three road games in four weeks to start the season, the Niners will view a return to Levi’s Stadium against a very beatable Cardinals team as a relief.
The 49ers figure to be battle-hardened following games with the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
That should pay dividends as they take on a team with an inferior roster and a shaky offensive line that, prior to a three-game winning streak at Levi’s Stadium in which the average margin of victory was seven points, had not won on the road against San Francisco since 2008.
14. Week 12 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coming out of the bye, the 49ers go cross country for perhaps the kindest road game on the schedule.
The Bucs had the league’s worst passing defense in 2017 and, though the pass rush has been substantially bolstered, the secondary remains sub-par.
With an extra week to gameplan, Kyle Shanahan should find plenty of ways to take advantage of the Bucs defense. Tampa Bay boasts plenty of offensive talent, but Jameis Winston‘ penchant for inconsistency makes this a favorable matchup for San Francisco.
15. Week 16 – Chicago Bears
The Bears had the best off-season in the league in the eyes of many, and the offense should be more dynamic under Matt Nagy.
Both teams have improved from last season when the 49ers claimed a 15-12 victory in Garoppolo’s first start at Soldier Field.
But the 49ers appear the better team in the trenches, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
And, with the Bears making the long trip west, the Niners will more than fancy their chances of earning a victory that could well clinch a playoff berth if their season goes as planned.
16. Week 8 – at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals certainly have the talent to beat the 49ers, but this has rarely been a road trip San Francisco has feared.
Even in 2016 a terrible 49ers team lost by only three points in Arizona and the Cards needed overtime to prevail in this fixture last year.
Unlike in each of those games, the 49ers now know how to finish games following the winning streak to end last season. The Cardinals are not a team to take lightly, especially when they’re at home, but the Niners will likely view this as a more manageable road game and a key opportunity to earn a division and conference win.
Be sure to have a look at the San Francisco 49ers toughest games in 2018.
