Closer look at San Francisco 49ers’ schedule :WagerWeb Entertainment

Closer look at San Francisco 49ers’ schedule

18 July 2009 335 views No Comment

When Mike Singletary took over as interim coach in the middle of last year for San Francisco, it didn’t look like much was going to change in the first two games under the Pro Football Hall of Famer, with the Niners losing both.

But then Singletary seemed to change the culture of the struggling franchise, and the 49ers closed the season winning four of six games. Shaun Hill seemed to mature into a potentially solid NFL starting quarterback for the Niners, who might be a surprise team in the NFC this year. However, Hill’s progression didn’t stop the team from trying to lure free agent Kurt Warner from Arizona. It didn’t work, however.

San Francisco’s 2009 schedule is pretty manageable, ranking as the seventh-easiest in the league with an opponents’ winning percentage of .443. But if the Niners are going to make any noise in the NFC West, they have to beat the Cardinals, something they couldn’t do in two tries last year. This will mark the fourth year in a row those two teams open against each other.

Coming off the bye week, San Francisco will play three consecutive games against AFC South opponents and might well lose all three (the Niners probably will be an underdog in all three). That game with Houston will be just the second against the franchise, while the following week’s trip is San Francisco’s first game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

That Nov. 12 game with the Bears should be special for Singletary, as it was in Chicago where he was one of the NFL’s best-ever linebackers. It is Niners’ team’s first ever home Thursday night contest, and the first since a 24-14 win at Seattle on Dec. 14, 2006. The team is 6-1-1 on Thursday nights all-time.

San Francisco is +235 on WagerWeb.com to win the NFC West and +4000 to win Super Bowl XLIV.

49ERS’ 2009 SCHEDULE

Week 1: Sun, Sept. 13 at Arizona Cardinals FOX 4:15 p.m.

Week 2: Sun, Sept. 20 vs. Seattle Seahawks FOX 4:05 p.m.

Week 3: Sun, Sept. 27 at Minnesota Vikings FOX 1 p.m.

Week 4: Sun, Oct. 4 vs. St. Louis Rams FOX 4:15 p.m.

Week 5: Sun, Oct. 11 vs. Atlanta Falcons FOX 4:05 p.m.

Week 6: Bye

Week 7: Sun, Oct. 25 at Houston Texans FOX 1 p.m.

Week 8: Sun, Nov. 1 at Indianapolis Colts FOX 1 p.m.

Week 9: Sun, Nov. 8 vs. Tennessee Titans CBS 4:15 p.m.

Week 10: Thu, Nov. 12 vs. Chicago Bears NFLN 8:20 p.m.