The San Francisco 49ers are now 8-0 after a Thursday night win over the Arizona Cardinals. When will the undefeated start come to an end?
The San Francisco 49ers are on an absolute tear.
The hype was real last season before Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury and we are seeing why this year.
The 49ers are now 8-0 after a close win over the upstart Arizona Cardinals. Thursday night games are always tricky and the Cardinals made it close late. Then the 49ers showed why they are the top team in the NFC. Kliff Kingsbury helped out with some mind-blowing decisions as well.
The 8-0 record is obviously impressive but the NFC is very top-heavy this season. That record puts the team one game ahead of both the 7-1 Green Bay Packers and the 7-1 New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, both Wild Card teams are sitting at 6-2.
A few losses could see the 49ers not only drop down a few seeds. It could mean going from undefeated to a Wild Card team. That is still a possibility given the schedule over the next eight games.
After taking on the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and the Washington Redskins, things get a bit tougher.
The 49ers have two games against the now 6-2 Seahawks, one against both the Packers and the Saints, a matchup with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, a NFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, and then games against the Cardinals and the lowly Atlanta Falcons.
Going 4-4 in that stretch would be impressive for any team, yet expectations are much higher when you start 8-0. The schedule has been easy, which is also true for the 8-0 New England Patriots. The thing that can’t be ignored is how dominant the defenses have been for both teams. The bad NFL teams are still NFL teams filled with world-class athletes. No 8-0 start is a fluke unless you play the Miami Dolphins eight times.
The first matchup with the Seahawks takes place Nov. 11 on a Monday night. That is followed by one more against the Cardinals before a meeting with the Packers. If the 49ers go 3-0 in that stretch, perhaps only the Saints will be able to stop them. The game is in New Orleans and if the records hold, that could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.
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