{"id":89716,"date":"2020-06-10T12:57:34","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T16:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=89716"},"modified":"2021-03-26T09:22:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T13:22:51","slug":"san-francisco-49ers-difficult-games-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/06\/10\/san-francisco-49ers-difficult-games-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"San Francisco 49ers Most Difficult Games in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2020 NFL season is right around the corner with training camp scheduled to open in just a few months. The San Francisco 49ers head into the 2020 season off the heels of their loss in Super Bowl 54 to the Kansas City Chiefs. Surely the Niners will be looking for redemption this year, but that won&#8217;t be easy as they have some tough matchups on the slate. Let&#8217;s take a look at the San Francisco 49ers most difficult games in 2020.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/06\/10\/san-francisco-49ers-easiest-games-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>San Francisco 49ers Easiest Games<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>San Francisco 49ers Most Difficult Games in 2020<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>1. Week 10: at New Orleans Saints<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hardest game for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/49ers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco 49ers<\/a> comes in Week 10 when they make a trip to New Orleans to square off with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BreeDr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Drew Brees<\/a><\/strong> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/saints\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Orleans Saints<\/a>. This matchup was an instant classic a season ago when San Francisco won 48-46. There\u2019s no reason to believe that this year\u2019s game will be any different as both squads are returning several key players, such as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KittGe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">George Kittle<\/a><\/strong> for the Niners and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=ThomMi05,ThomMi02&amp;search=Michael+Thomas&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Thomas<\/a><\/strong> for the Saints. The 49ers will absolutely need to bring their best if they hope to come out with a win in this one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difficulty of this game greatly depends on if fans are allowed in the stadium, and if so, how many. Seattle is unquestionably one of the toughest environments in the NFL for visiting teams. Couple that with a talented and hungry<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/seahawks\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Seattle Seahawks<\/a> team eager to prove themselves against the defending NFC Champions and you have a tall task for the 49ers. As is the case with all division games, this contest will be crucial in deciding playoff seeding and home field advantage in the revamped playoff format. San Francisco is the better team on paper, but Seattle always puts forth a competitive team and this should be an excellent game to watch, as well as a great test for the Niners midway through the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Francisco will be taking the trip to Jerry World in Week 15 this year to face off with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/cowboys\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dallas Cowboys<\/a>. This has all the makings of an exciting game with two talented squads going at it. The pressure in this one will be on the shoulders of the San Francisco defense to slow down an already impressive Cowboys offense that added arguably the best wide receiver in the draft in Ceedee Lamb. If their performances against other high powered offenses such as New Orleans and Kansas City are any indication, this could be a huge challenge for the Niners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Week 4: vs Philadelphia Eagles<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Week four against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/eagles\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> brings yet another challenge for the Niners. Philadelphia will likely be much healthier at this point than they were a year ago. They\u2019ll be able to line up a healthy Alshon Jeffry as well as rookie first rounder Jalen Reagor at wide receiver as opposed to the revolving door they had at the position in 2019. The Eagles are always a tough opponent even when ravaged by injury, but assuming relatively good health, they should be nothing short of a handful for the 49ers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Week 13: vs Buffalo Bills<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/bills\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buffalo Bills<\/a> are going to be an issue for teams this year. They finally appear to have an offense to match their staunch defense, and this should have teams on high alert. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=AlleJo02,AlleJo03,AlleJo00&amp;search=Josh+Allen&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> will lead Buffalo into San Francisco in Week 13 for a clash of up and coming teams. The Niners still have the advantage on offense, mostly because <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GaroJi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a><\/strong> is far more consistent than Allen. Despite this, the matchup should be tightly contested and incredibly fun to watch. It\u2019s a matchup fans don\u2019t get to see often and both teams look to be contenders this year so definitely grab your popcorn for this one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>6. Week 9: vs Green Bay Packers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/packers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Green Bay Packers<\/a> are an interesting matchup for the 49ers this season. They did nothing to address the receiver position in the draft, and it remains thin behind <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AdamDa01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Davante Adams<\/a><\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RodgAa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Rodgers<\/a><\/strong> has been steadily declining for a few years now and the lack of upgrades at receiver may only exacerbate the issue. Despite that, Green Bay has two running backs in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WillJa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamal Williams<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=JoneAa00,JoneAa20&amp;search=Aaron+Jones&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Jones<\/a><\/strong> that will certainly be a handful for the Niners defense, making the Packers a team that can\u2019t be overlooked.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. Week 17: vs Seattle Seahawks<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This game could be the most meaningful of the entire season for San Francisco. The regular season finale against Seattle could very well decide the NFC West, and both teams will certainly bring their best. With that being said, Seattle on the road is much different than at home and with this important matchup coming at Levi Stadium, the edge will have to go to the Niners.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the games that is neither difficult nor easy for the 49ers. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/cardinals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Arizona Cardinals<\/a> have an abundance of young and exciting talent but haven\u2019t been competitive with their core yet. This could change with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MurrKy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyler Murray<\/a><\/strong> entering year two as a starter, and the addition of Isaiah Simmons on defense. Arizona has the potential to be a pesky opponent in 2020, but there is two much of an unknown with them to lock it in. This game should be fun to watch, but it won\u2019t be the biggest challenge on the schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2020\/06\/10\/san-francisco-49ers-easiest-games-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>San Francisco 49ers Easiest Games<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"n6Lr9AaLQ6hHOHUJnRbiEg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1193250956\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'n6Lr9AaLQ6hHOHUJnRbiEg',sig:'Z9hRFePcC-e45F_ea_r5ZcEKS-JiJrC4xkYqPA7F6RA=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1193250956',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Francisco 49ers Most Difficult Games: Which contests will test just how good the defending NFC Champions can be in the upcoming season?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2891,"featured_media":89861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[2256,275,1039,371,61,1960,401,2599,4674,40,52],"class_list":["post-89716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-49ers","tag-aaron-jones","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-davante-adams","tag-drew-brees","tag-football","tag-george-kittle","tag-jimmy-garoppolo","tag-josh-allen","tag-kyler-murray","tag-nfl","tag-san-francisco-49ers"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2891"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}