49ers’ schedule ranks among NFL’s worst bye differentials since 2002 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In what is becoming an unceremonious tradition, the 49ers face the 2024 NFL season at a significant rest disadvantage compared to their opponents.
San Francisco’s -22 net rest differential for the 2024 season ranks as the third-worst in the NFL since 2002. (h/t ESPN)
That marks two straight seasons in which San Francisco was stuck with the worst rest differential in the league, and the 2023 49ers’ total also ranked among the 10 worst differentials of the past two decades.
The most obvious obstacles to San Francisco’s scheduling woes will be the four games it will play against opponents coming off a bye week, which is a difficult task in itself, but magnified even more by the quality of the teams they face. 49ers will face each other in those contests. .
San Francisco will face the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys in weeks seven and eight, with each of them having a bye week before their meeting with the 49ers. Then in Week 11, San Francisco faces their NFC West rivals the Seattle Seahawks after a bye week, with a Week 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills closing out the 49ers’ slate of games. against teams that will have several weeks of rest before their match.
The 49ers are the only team in the league that will play at least four games against opponents who care about coming off a bye during the 2024 season, with the Indianapolis Colts the only other franchise to have at least three of those games on their schedule. .
Number of times each NFL team plays an opponent after their bye week:
4x SF
3x IND
2X MAR, NYG, WSH, NO, MIA, DEN, TB
1x LAC, KC, PIT, DAL, CHI, HOU, LV, DET, ARZ, LAR, CLE
0x MIN, GB, CIN, BAL, CAR, ATL, TEN, JAX, BUF, NYJ, NE, PHI
– Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) May 16, 2024
San Francisco faced teams coming off a bye week while trailing bye three times last season, losing in Week 6 to the Cleveland Browns and in Week 8 to the Cincinnati Bengals, while beating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15.
There will also be two instances in which San Francisco plays a team that has three extra days off due to playing Thursday Night Football the previous week: a Week 4 clash against the New England Patriots and a Week 4 clash against the New England Patriots. Week 13 against Chicago. Bears. (h/t Fox Sports)
The 49ers were able to overcome their bye deficit in 2023 and still managed to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. like san francisco try to come back For the Super Bowl, he will once again have to overcome the difficult schedule obstacles he overcame last season.
