The San Francisco 49ers are optimistic heading into the 2022 season after reaching the NFC Championship Game last year.
The 49ers had a tough start to the 2021 season, going 3-5 in their first eight games. They went 7-2 in the regular season to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three years.
After beating the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers fell to the Los Angeles Rams 20-17. In the Bay Area, that loss likely marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. On Feb. 1, Jimmy Garoppolo, the team’s starting quarterback for the past four seasons, essentially said his goodbyes.
He said, “Faithful, thank you very much for everything.” “Man, it’s been insane. It’s been a wild trip, folks, with all the comebacks at Levi’s, comebacks on the road, ups and downs. I adore you all. See ya.”
When the 49ers traded up to take Trey Lance with the No. 3 choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, they signalled that the 30-year-old would not be part of their long-term plans.
As a rookie, the North Dakota State product saw limited action, making two starts while Garoppolo was sidelined.
A variety of circumstances hindered San Francisco’s attempts to move Garoppolo at the outset of the offseason. He had shoulder surgery in March to treat an injury he sustained during the Cowboys’ playoff victory.
Following his operation, every other team in need of a quarterback found another option in a trade. All four quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, and Matt Ryan, were dealt. Aaron Rodgers has rejoined the Green Bay Packers. Tom Brady took a break from football for a few weeks before deciding to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 49ers are now in a position where they might enter training camp this summer with both Garoppolo and Lance on the roster. The rest of San Francisco’s roster is established as the team attempts to overtake the Rams in the NFC West and compete for the title.
Kyle Shanahan, the team’s head coach, is perhaps the best play designer and caller in the league. With 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards, and 14 total touchdowns last season, Deebo Samuel—who was the subject of trade rumours this offseason but is still with the team—became the NFL’s most unique offensive weapon.
Brandon Aiyuk overcame a sluggish start to finish with 826 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his second season, and George Kittle is the greatest all-around tight end in the league. With the arrival of free-agent Charvarius Ward, the defence, which finished tenth in points allowed, received a boost in the secondary.
The 49ers are as talented as any club in the NFC coming into the new season if they can figure out what they’re going to do at quarterback. The NFL has released the schedule for the 2022 regular season, and here is the list of opponents the 49ers will face.
Analysis
The 49ers’ schedule designers did not help them in their quest to make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
The 49ers will face teams from the AFC West and the NFC South. Brady, Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos), and Derek Carr are among the quarterbacks in those two divisions (Las Vegas Raiders).
Even though San Francisco will face Wilson in 2022, the fact that he is no longer with the Seattle Seahawks means it will only have to face him once during the regular season rather than twice.
For the first time in almost a decade, the Seahawks, who have long been the 49ers’ main adversary, are rebuilding. The rest of the NFC West still appears to be formidable. The Rams won the Super Bowl and brought back the majority of their key players.
The Arizona Cardinals had plenty of offseason drama centred on Kyler Murray’s relationship with important members of the organisation, but the two sides now look to be on better terms.
Arizona appeared to be the best club in the NFC West throughout most of the 2021 season. It was the league’s last undefeated club (7-0), and it swept the season series against the 49ers before falling to the Rams in the wild-card round, 34-11.
Pivotal Matchups
There are plenty of alternatives for the 49ers to compare themselves to the greatest teams in the league. On their way to winning the Super Bowl, the Rams terminated San Francisco’s season. The Eagles’ triumph in the NFC Championship Game ended the Niners’ six-game winning streak over their division foe, which had dated back to 2019.
The only reason the Rams aren’t considered favourites in the NFC is because of Brady’s success, which gives the Buccaneers a little advantage. In the divisional round, he overcame a 27-3 deficit, but the Rams were able to escape with a win thanks to Matt Gay’s 30-yard field goal as time expired.
The 49ers have dropped three of their last four games against the Cardinals. Its best chance of winning the division is to be able to take care of business against NFC West opponents.
All four games versus AFC West opponents should be must-see television. Mike McDaniel, who is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins after spending the previous five years as an assistant on Shanahan’s staff, is also back.
After adding playmaker Tyreek Hill and offensive lineman Terron Armstead, the Dolphins aren’t going to be taken lightly. If the 49ers are going to make the playoffs in 2022, they will have to earn it with the schedule they have to face.
Read also:-
