San Francisco 49ers schedule 2020: Picks, predictions for every game
Week 5: vs. Miami Dolphins
Despite a promising offseason, the Dolphins are not even close to the 49ers in terms of talent. My belief is Ryan Fitzpatrick will still be the starter this early in the season, and he has a propensity to throw interceptions when under pressure.
The Miami defense is also rebuilding, so the 49ers should be able to do whatever they want versus their young squad. This might be the game where we see Tua Tagovailoa inserted into the lineup out of desperation.
Prediction: 49ers 45, Dolphins 14
Week 6: vs. Los Angeles Rams – Sunday Night Football
Jared Goff was one of the worst quarterbacks when under pressure last year; the former 1st overall pick completed less than a third of his passes when pressured, which ranked 24th in the NFL. Given the Rams did little to address the offensive line this offseason, it could be a long night for the Rams quarterback. I’ll take the 49ers at home for their sixth consecutive victory.
Prediction: 49ers 31, Rams 21
Week 7: at New England Patriots
On paper, the 49ers have a better team than New England. Unfortunately, things rarely play out how they are supposed to. Bill Belichick had nearly four years to study Jimmy Garoppolo’s tendencies and weaknesses; his defense will arguably be the best in the league once again.
While Jarrett Stidham is a complete unknown at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised to see New England pull out all of the stops versus their former quarterback. The Patriots overcome the 49ers in a low-scoring affair.
Prediction: Patriots 16, 49ers 10
Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers have the daunting task of traveling back from the East Coast to one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. This matchup literally came down to the last second in each contest last year, and it will likely be deja vu this time around. I’ll take Seattle to barely edge out San Francisco as the 49ers drop two games in a row.
Prediction: Seahawks 23, 49ers 20