The last time Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers finished last in the NFC West, in 2020, they answered with three straight berths in the NFC Championship Game and a narrow loss in the Super Bowl. They could be laying the foundation for similar run but, first, they have to finish last.
Behind Door No. 1 is a 2025 schedule with Green Bay, Dallas and Cincinnati. Door No. 2 reveals Chicago, Cleveland and the New York Giants. More than likely, a last-place finish in the division will trigger the favorable Door No. 2 opponents.
The NFL’s scheduling formula administered by the league’s broadcasting department calls for San Francisco in 2025 to face the NFC North team that finishes in the same standing (third or fourth) as the 49ers. It also locks in the same-standing opponents from the AFC North and NFC East.
San Francisco should be glad to wrap up its first-place schedule in 2024. The Niners’ reward for winning the NFC West a year ago was a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs and battles with Tampa Bay and Dallas – in addition to four foes from the league’s best division since 2002 realignment, the NFC North.
San Francisco closes its home slate with a rematch of the NFC Championship Game on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) against the conference’s potential No. 1 seed, Detroit (13-2). Then, the Niners finish on the road in Week 18 with Arizona. And even if San Francisco upsets the Lions, the team still can’t overcome the Cardinals. That means the odds are badly good that San Francisco will see the Bears, Browns and Giants next season.
For more information on the 49ers and Lions, visit the San Francisco and Detroit team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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