A big Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys only put the San Francisco 49ers back on track in the 2024 season, it did not secure an easy path to the postseason.
The 49ers’ schedule after their Bye week is brutal. It features one game against each of their division rivals, one of which is a playoff team, and they’ll face two other playoff teams. Only two of their remaining nine contests are against clubs with a record below .500, and one of those teams is the Miami Dolphins which fell to 2-6 while quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was out. He is now back.
We took a look at the rest of their 2024 schedule and ranked the games in order from least to most challenging:
Week 14 vs. Chicago Bears
The Bears are not a well-coached team and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is dealing with some first-year growing pains behind a not-so-good offensive line with a not-so-good offensive coordinator.
Week 10 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay could slide above the Bears with wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the season and WR Mike Evans expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury. The Bucs are a more talented team than Chicago for now though.
Week 11 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Division games are all tough, but Seattle lands at this spot because the 49ers have won four of the last five meetings, including a 36-24 win in Seattle in Week 6 this season.
Week 16 at Miami Dolphins
If quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, the Dolphins are a problem. If he’s not, this game becomes the easiest one on the 49ers’ schedule the rest of the way.
Week 18 at Arizona Cardinals
The NFC West leader overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to beat the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Going to Arizona with the division or a playoff berth potentially on the line isn’t going to be easier.
Week 15 vs. Los Angeles Rams
LA also overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to beat the 49ers, and that was before they got wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp back. They’re gonna be tough to beat with those two in the lineup.
Week 12 at Green Bay Packers
It’s unclear exactly how far this very young Green Bay team can/will go in the playoffs this year, but they’ve been one of the best teams in football despite dealing with some injuries at quarterback.
Week 13 at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo could easily represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and quarterback Josh Allen is an MVP candidate.
Week 17 vs. Detroit Lions
There’s a real chance Detroit just steamrolls the entire league and wins the Super Bowl going away. They nearly beat the 49ers in the NFC championship game last year, and now they’re even better this season.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Ranking 49ers toughest games in brutal post-Bye schedule
