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Reacting to the 49ers' 2026 schedule · Niner Noise Podcast on the 49ers

0:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Hello, hello, and welcome to another edition of the 990s podcast, part of the fan-sided podcast network.
0:09
[SPEAKER_00]: My name is Robert Morrison, a contributor at 990s.com, and here with me, fellow contributor, mixture of oxas, devadula, oxas, how are things?
0:18
[SPEAKER_00]: It's been a while.
0:19
[SPEAKER_01]: it has been a while, Robert.
0:21
[SPEAKER_01]: It's sunny.
0:22
[SPEAKER_01]: It's nice out.
0:23
[SPEAKER_01]: That's always welcome.
0:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And so it's a real as we, it's a real reminder that the seasons go long.
0:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we're about to enter, how do you say the dog days with the NFL season, but even then there's always something.
0:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think there's like, it's, it's crazy to me that we're already at schedule release time.
0:46
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah,
0:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I was commenting on the, I mean, we've talked a lot about how like the NFL is a 12 month year.
0:57
[SPEAKER_00]: business and all this kind of stuff and I just like some very funny things came out of the schedule release.
1:03
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's hilarious that the NFL makes this big like this big prime we're going to do a prime time show and we're going to release the schedule.
1:11
[SPEAKER_00]: But all the teams are just like okay well it's like three hours before the show.
1:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Well here it is like there you go.
1:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Totally pulling the wool out from under it.
1:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Did you you happen to watch the
1:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think I've ever watched the NFL schedule release.
1:26
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
1:28
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't know what the point of it would be.
1:30
[SPEAKER_00]: It just feels very like high drama for no reason when obviously, like the 49ers dropped theirs.
1:38
[SPEAKER_00]: several hours before the show started, I'm pretty sure.
1:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It was like, you know, five or six Eastern time, I think when they dropped it.
1:45
[SPEAKER_00]: So that was two or three hours before.
1:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And all the teams are like, here's our cool video that we made.
1:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, they want their eyes on, your eyes on that.
1:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And like, frankly, I don't know.
1:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
1:59
[SPEAKER_00]: You could correct me if I'm wrong here, but I don't know like many people who are just like I'm fans of the NFL and I care about all the games that are happening at all the time.
2:07
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, maybe you'll pay attention to the prime time stuff, but it's not like you're going to pay that close of attention to like what the and the Atlanta Falcons are doing from week to week unless it has something to do with the 49ers.
2:17
[SPEAKER_00]: So the whole thing feels a little bit overcooked to me, but I don't know.
2:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I agree.
2:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I also think that way.
2:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I was there was like an article that I saw that was just like for NFL social media team like teams for like the teams and schedule release is like they're super bold.
2:37
[SPEAKER_01]: So I feel like it really doesn't make sense that a NFL thinks that they're going to they're just like this is not something teams are are like willing to give up on and like I agree like no one is really cares about the entire schedule all that much.
2:55
[SPEAKER_00]: And no, I wouldn't pick so you care like once it's like we can and your Or yeah, yeah, and then as it has any want to know like, you know, who were the Who's the team that we're fighting for play opposition for playing this week versus who you're like that sort of thing, but
3:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, like week one, like I don't care, like beyond the 400s game, and that's pretty much it.
3:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I probably will not really take a much, and the nice thing is that we get a nice, nice little start to the season, where we get to pay attention really early, and then we don't have to do for a while.
3:33
[SPEAKER_00]: So very interesting there.
3:36
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, one bit of thing of newsy thing that we need to talk about before we get into the schedule specifically and that is that the big 49ers free agent the outgoing free agent I should say the guy who was paid most attention to I think from the from the team that that was on.
3:54
[SPEAKER_00]: heading in to Freight into the soft scenes and was Joanne Jennings and we talked a lot about like where is Joanne Jennings going to go and all the stuff.
4:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Took him a really long time, took him to the after the draft and he finally ends up in Minnesota with the Vikings, a team that the 49ers will play this season.
4:09
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about that a little bit later.
4:11
[SPEAKER_00]: One year deal, if it was $16 million, something like that, as I think is the number off the top of
4:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
4:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was way less I think it yeah, maybe like 14 or something.
4:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was eight.
4:27
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was single digits.
4:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, hold on.
4:28
[SPEAKER_00]: You just I'll just look that up.
4:32
[SPEAKER_00]: But it wasn't a lot of money is is the the the end all of the of the situation.
4:39
[SPEAKER_00]: it was not not ideal.
4:41
[SPEAKER_00]: It didn't work out for him.
4:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
4:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you think he overplayed his hand on this one?
4:49
[SPEAKER_00]: We could talk about that and then sort of talk about the fit a little bit for him there.
4:57
[SPEAKER_00]: It was one year, you're right, $8 million based, but up to 13 million through incentives.
5:02
[SPEAKER_00]: That was the number that I was thinking of.
5:04
[SPEAKER_00]: That
5:05
[SPEAKER_00]: 13.
5:06
[SPEAKER_00]: So eight, eight base 13 million incentives.
5:09
[SPEAKER_00]: So there you go.
5:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Did like our your little surprise that this is how it worked out?
5:14
[SPEAKER_00]: What thoughts do you have about John Jennings's situation?
5:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I am surprised this is how it worked out.
5:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Mostly because I think there were some teams that had a lot of cap and young quarterbacks and, you know, I think Jennings is a good receiver for a team with a young quarterback because he's pretty sure handed and he's like
5:34
[SPEAKER_01]: He'll be open like it's he's got he's a very high floor player in my opinion like you're not really too worried and I think that like
5:43
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a really comforting, he's like a security blanket, especially for a young quarterback.
5:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it's just, it has to be true that he overplayed his hand, right?
5:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, yeah, there were reports that the Niners were offering him a multi-year extension with like 17 million per year that he turned down.
6:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Oops, if that's true, then it's like, huge, a lot of money left on the table.
6:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I think,
6:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You know he had to hit a phenomenal year two years ago last year was a good year, but not a phenomenal year and you sort of just you wonder.
6:20
[SPEAKER_01]: To what extent like teams looked at them they're like, okay, I'm not so sure anymore.
6:28
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, like what's the what's the ceiling here was the floor.
6:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think the fit is great.
6:36
[SPEAKER_01]: anyone playing on an offense with Justin Jefferson is going to be slightly more open than they would be otherwise.
6:42
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think for him, that's good.
6:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, yeah, I mean, I think Venus Minnesota, the quarterback situation is a little over the place, but they like, it's a good offensive system and a good coach.
6:54
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's like a good landing spot.
6:56
[SPEAKER_01]: He'll obviously get back to it next year.
6:59
[SPEAKER_01]: For the 49ers, I mean, a bit of a bummer and so far as they don't get a
7:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Boy, you signed off of the drafts, so I'm not sure that I made a difference anyway, right?
7:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Why?
7:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, that's exactly why they don't get one.
7:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if they would have gotten one.
7:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
7:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think with my cousins and everything, we'll have bounced out with him anyway, I would think.
7:21
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I don't know.
7:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think the Niners clearly, like they moved on.
7:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
7:27
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of people like say that Zonshrib Lane is supposed to be a supercharge of Jennings.
7:34
[SPEAKER_01]: That sounds pretty good to me, but like, I do think, I mean, like, you know, we, we should like, it would be remiss to not like just talk about how exceptional the draft, he was for the 49ers.
7:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, like, 7th round pick and they'd 7th round pick and they'd 7th round pick and that's not bad of them for sure.
7:50
[SPEAKER_01]: They got, I mean, they got a lot out of it and like in a way that like, like, it's a real success story out of the draft for this team.
7:58
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think, um,
8:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you probably would have been Super Bowl MVP head there.
8:04
[SPEAKER_01]: So real, real highs.
8:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, frankly, not even that low, low, like third and drawn is going to be a real, it's a real fun thing.
8:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the team made the right decision.
8:16
[SPEAKER_01]: If he was a player who it didn't, like, I just didn't think that, like, the upside would justify the
8:24
[SPEAKER_01]: the contract he was going to get.
8:27
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was right to sort of like, like, okay, like, at 17 million weekend, we can move on.
8:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, I don't think anyone would have expected at the time that moving on and getting my heavens here, right?
8:43
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think, like, I don't in that way.
8:48
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it worked out for the Niners.
8:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Jennings, you know, hopefully next year he gets a big contract from someone, hopefully in the AFC.
8:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And we'll see how it goes.
8:58
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to be fun to play against him.
9:00
[SPEAKER_01]: No.
9:01
[SPEAKER_01]: That was awesome.
9:02
[SPEAKER_01]: If there's a player who I would expect to have like, a real, real revenge game, it's, it's Joanne Jennings.
9:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know why exactly.
9:11
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just, I feel it.
9:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel it in my bones.
9:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
9:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
9:15
[SPEAKER_01]: He's about to put up a monster statline.
9:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, hopefully in a losing situation, you can do it every once as long as they lose.
9:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think I'm right there with you.
9:23
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the league sort of showed like what they think of him, right?
9:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Because basically he's going from 49ers where he was obsessively a two or three for most of his career and he goes to Minnesota and he gets signed to be the
9:44
[SPEAKER_00]: The number three receiver behind Justin Jefferson for sure and probably behind Jordan Addison as well.
9:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I think he'll I think as you said, I think it'll be a good fit for him because he doesn't have to be the guy.
9:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he can do a lot of things that you ask and of number one receiver, but there's obviously some limitations there.
10:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise, I think somebody would have given them a lot more money.
10:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Because as you said, there were teams, we talked about Tennessee and how much cap space they had and like even if they had to overpay him that they that would have made a lot of sense for a team with a young quarterback and.
10:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
10:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I agree.
10:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he probably overplayed his hand a little bit and might have, and we won't know whether or not he left a lot of money on the table until after this, because this is kind of his chance to prove who he is.
10:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the tricky part, because of the offense that he's going into, as you noted, sort
10:39
[SPEAKER_00]: on, you know, uncertain quarterback play.
10:42
[SPEAKER_00]: They have a, they're going to have a quarterback controversy between, of all, all people, JJ McCarthy and, and our old buddy, who is first, first name is completely escaped.
10:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Kyla Murray, there we go.
10:57
[SPEAKER_00]: There we go.
10:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Which is,
10:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, do what you will with that quarterback competition, and then of course he, again, he's pretty down on the pecking order in terms of a third of offense of guys.
11:10
[SPEAKER_00]: They also, TJ Hawkinson is there too, right, with a tight end.
11:16
[SPEAKER_00]: So they've got some some pass catchers on that team.
11:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So whether or not that a place that he could go to like prove himself that he's like a number one option.
11:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure that's going to do it.
11:28
[SPEAKER_00]: So in the end, we may find that he left a lot of money on the table, but time will tell him that one.
11:33
[SPEAKER_00]: So best luck to Joanne as long as it's not on November the 22nd.
11:37
[SPEAKER_00]: That's all I gotta say.
11:42
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so let's go ahead and get into the meat and potatoes of this one, and that is talk about the 49er schedule, which of course came out last week on May the 14th.
11:56
[SPEAKER_00]: First, first of all, obviously, we have to talk about the all important preseason games.
12:00
[SPEAKER_00]: just kidding, they are playing preseason games one at the U.S. stadium and two on the road against the Titans.
12:07
[SPEAKER_00]: The Chargers and the Raiders, interesting that they're playing two preseason games against two teams that they'll see later in the season.
12:14
[SPEAKER_00]: I doubt that we'll have any impact on those games whatsoever.
12:17
[SPEAKER_00]: But Axe has lit, you know, let's talk about the schedule on a larger scale.
12:24
[SPEAKER_00]: What was your sort of general reaction to it?
12:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously we all, we knew already, 49ers were going to do a lot of traveling this year because of the Australia game that starts the season because of the Mexico City game that they traded in a,
12:36
[SPEAKER_00]: one of their extra home games for this year, so that adds to the flying, I think somewhere in the neighborhood of like 38,000 miles in the air between getting going where they're going and getting back.
12:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's start with general reactions to the schedule, what do you think of it, that sort of thing before we talk more detailed about it?
12:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I think it's a
13:05
[SPEAKER_01]: It's balanced in so far as it's hard all the way throughout.
13:09
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just hard for different reasons.
13:11
[SPEAKER_01]: So like I think at the start, it's hard because of travel and at the end it's hard because they're playing some monster teams.
13:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah.
13:20
[SPEAKER_01]: So like, in that way, there's not really a break, but I think it's, you don't get a lot of compounding.
13:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that would be my real concern is that like, oh, they're like, you know,
13:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Melbourne and then to like Mexico City and then to the East Coast, blah, blah, blah, and they're also playing like every good team on their schedule.
13:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Nothing like that.
13:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's that's good.
13:46
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that like yeah, I think on a high level, I think there's some bounds.
13:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's difficult.
13:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely for a third play schedule.
13:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
13:58
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, but I think that like we kind of expected that to me true just because of the way that like the teams they were going to play in the in like sort of outside of the third place control thing, you know, right, like so in that way to be expected, I but like I do think that
14:21
[SPEAKER_01]: They're gonna, it's rare that this happens.
14:24
[SPEAKER_01]: They're gonna know if they're making the playoffs fairly early in their season.
14:30
[SPEAKER_01]: What I mean by that is, this is a real, you've got to bank wins, otherwise you're, you're really, like,
14:38
[SPEAKER_01]: The places where you're okay as a strong word, the places where like you're expecting to maybe go 500 are not the top of the schedule there they're at the end so it'll be a real interesting situation I think as we'll like we're so sort of talked about how it how it goes but like.
14:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I really think you're going to have the 49ers like hitting the playoffs playing like 500 football It's not because they're a bad team.
15:05
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be because they're like going against some murderers where oh yeah of opponents
15:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think they have the buys and week eight.
15:14
[SPEAKER_00]: So not quite in the middle, but pretty close to it.
15:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I think a pretty decent spot there.
15:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I think if you had to get really picky about it, maybe you would have liked to push it, like maybe like the week before Mexico City or something like that, but they, you know, it's not a terrible spot for a buy.
15:29
[SPEAKER_00]: I think if you're not, I don't know, what, like, five and two or six and one heading into that buy week,
15:38
[SPEAKER_00]: You're probably in real trouble right there.
15:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's what you're saying, right?
15:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, obviously this team has the talent to beat anyone.
15:49
[SPEAKER_01]: So they're never out of it per se, but it's gonna be like, as opposed to last year where I think they had sort of banked wins, but had opportunities, they had winnable games near the end, right?
16:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Which mattered a lot
16:07
[SPEAKER_01]: a couple like they dropped a real bad one to the rams they dropped like and it was like okay fine like things are mostly fine because they had sort of get right games in between here i do think like they're gonna have to be playing at the top of their game if they don't bank those wins like you're saying because there's not gonna be a chance to play a quote
16:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, only I mean, just looking at the back half of the schedule after the buy there's only I'm going to conservatively say like three games on the back end of that schedule that you're like, yeah, they should probably win that one running away with it.
16:49
[SPEAKER_00]: That would be home to the Raiders after the buy and then the Giants away and then the week 18 game against Arizona on the road, but
16:59
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of, but then everything else in between there is like, well, that one's going to be a little tough for that one's going to have a difficulty to it, you know, they got a travel to Dallas, they have the Mexico City game against Minnesota as we talked about already, they have home games against the Rams and the Seahawks, they have to go to freaking Kansas City in December because thanks.
17:20
[SPEAKER_00]: NFL, whatever, it's not hard enough there anyway.
17:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, so I think you're right.
17:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, and I even so right after the schedule came out, I did a quick like.
17:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's, well, I use the word quick.
17:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I actually ended up writing a lot of words.
17:36
[SPEAKER_00]: So thank you to anybody who's read that piece.
17:40
[SPEAKER_00]: So far, and I would encourage you to go take a look at it and look at my predictions for the game.
17:47
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that is how I arrived at it, is that it's going to be a really like, they should be able to bank a bunch of wins, like five,
17:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe as many as six wins leading up to the buy and there and then immediately after and then once you get to Mexico City, which is week 11, that's when I think when things really start to kick into high gear, so they finish the season home for Seattle.
18:18
[SPEAKER_00]: uh... a thursday no no sorry that's a the week after mexico city then there in uh... in new jersey for against the giants home for the rams then they play the other last year's team on a thursday night then they travel ten days later uh... to get the city then they have home uh... senate football against the eagles and they finish against
18:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, Arizona on the road, which might be Saturday or Sunday, depending on how that works out.
18:45
[SPEAKER_00]: But that run from November 29th, and you can include the Vikings in there.
18:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe I don't, I don't know.
18:51
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like on the fringes of this, of this conversation for me.
18:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but I think that run from Seattle to to Philadelphia.
19:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe not including the Giants is going to be like,
19:05
[SPEAKER_00]: rough.
19:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you get out of there playing, as you said, if you're sitting at 500 in those last couple of weeks, then you're probably feeling pretty good about it.
19:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I think that's right.
19:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And the thing to is that the non-play off teams put on quote the 49ers of playing, I think by and large, our teams are expected to improve.
19:26
[SPEAKER_01]: So Kansas City is almost certainly going to be
19:32
[SPEAKER_01]: say, like, the giants probably better than they were last year.
19:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, you know, like, there's the chargers or were a playoff team, they have Mike with Daniel now, so they're probably going to be a little, like, you just, there's a lot more, I would say, clear of accountability, but just like,
19:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, there's less easy games.
19:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure, so you get to that point.
19:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, the Raiders are really maybe the only team there and the dolphins.
20:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, well, like, you mean in that in the second half.
20:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, first half.
20:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's a question I'll give you.
20:12
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think there is just a lot more you like this, there's going to be a lot of teams.
20:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I think playing a lot better than where they would at the start.
20:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And the 49ers would have to sort of deal with that.
20:27
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22:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I like, I think this is going to be a real, we'll see how good this team is, kind of schedule.
22:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And if this team is as good as we want them to be, then none of this really matters, because I think Bill don't do quite well, but
22:20
[SPEAKER_01]: you know and like a worst case everything's falling apart what can be like a lot like last year frankly like I don't know if the schedule is as conducive to the right yeah miracle run like last year
22:33
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, not to mention the fact that they have two of the top like four Super Bowl contenders in their division.
22:42
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, including themselves, yes.
22:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, they don't have like, if, if in the division, in the division.
22:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah.
22:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, definitely.
22:50
[SPEAKER_00]: With the Rams and Seahawks, I think you have two teams that are that are Super Bowl contenders.
22:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I have the two best teams in the NFL.
22:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so and that's why they've won what 12 games last year and finish in their place.
23:05
[SPEAKER_00]: So is that in play again?
23:08
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
23:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Would we be like, oh, well, bummer.
23:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Like winning this division is going to be really hard, but again, like we talked about a lot last year, like just getting into the into the playoffs is really
23:20
[SPEAKER_00]: the goal here, like, wait, let me backtrack on that.
23:26
[SPEAKER_00]: That they should not want to win the division, but I think you have to also set expectations and understand that those two teams that finish ahead of you last year are gonna make it hard.
23:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if they go in, they play them,
23:41
[SPEAKER_00]: In a, they play the Rams obviously first.
23:43
[SPEAKER_00]: They get Seattle four weeks later.
23:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And then they do the same kind of thing in the second half or they play Seattle at home and then like three weeks later, they get the Rams at home.
23:56
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's all kind of balanced, very interestingly there.
24:00
[SPEAKER_00]: The other thing that I want to talk about, speaking of the Rams,
24:03
[SPEAKER_00]: is the return from Melbourne situation where it seems like the Rams got a little bit more coddling in their return.
24:15
[SPEAKER_00]: They play on Monday night.
24:16
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a position where I did actually pay attention to what another team was scheduled to look like.
24:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So they play on Monday night four week two.
24:22
[SPEAKER_00]: So they get an extra whole day.
24:25
[SPEAKER_00]: The 49ers just play a regular for 25 Eastern
24:33
[SPEAKER_00]: and also against a team that's probably going to be in contention for the number one overall pick in the draft.
24:39
[SPEAKER_00]: They do play three straight home games there, but what I mean, I look, I know there was no way for them to balance that perfectly, but I, I don't know, I feel like,
24:52
[SPEAKER_00]: The Sunday night football, Monday night football, for one of those two teams would have been maybe the way to handle it.
24:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess that they didn't want to wait too long for, you know, to get Kansas City on national television, but it just feels like a little bit of, like giving them a team that they quote unquote should beat handily doesn't feel like enough of a respite in that particular situation.
25:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I like, I don't know, like, for the Rams, good for them, I guess I like it.
25:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I think the 49ers like you said, right, like playing the dolphins week two, that should be benefit enough for this team to be able to be like, okay, they have like an easier thing, it's at home as well.
25:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, actually, they will matter, but I think Matt Baros had a good piece on this in the athletic, in a male bag,
25:49
[SPEAKER_01]: They'll probably be able to get back and rhythm in time for that, like not really to impact the team too much.
25:56
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I'm always worried about that.
25:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And do you think it's helpful to play?
26:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, who knows how the season's gonna go, but the dolphins basically tore apart their offense and anti-fifth, the tore apart everything.
26:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Ooh, yeah, they're gonna be rough.
26:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the only other notable thing for me in a sort of general sense is the NFL has been generally pretty kind to the 49ers in terms of daytime, early season home games, because my understanding of Santa Clara and the way that Levi Stadium is situated that there's one side of the field, that kiss.
26:38
[SPEAKER_00]: excruciatingly hot in those afternoon games and unfortunately that is the only downside to the three games at home all three of them, two of which are been against not so great opponents.
26:50
[SPEAKER_00]: The third is a pretty good lit missed test I think in week four when the Broncos come to town.
26:56
[SPEAKER_00]: all those four, four o'clock, one o'clock windows.
27:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, so that's a little bit.
27:03
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess that was the trade-off for, um, for that.
27:08
[SPEAKER_00]: I, you know, can't all work out for everybody all the time, but that will be something to pay attention to, as well, because I know that they've tried to avoid that as much as possible if they can.
27:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I said.
27:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, it's not that bad having happened to the city it's not like it's annoying.
27:24
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not that bad.
27:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they'll survive.
27:26
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, it is true that like I think you'd be you'd more you'd rather have your home game simulator because like California winter is just going to be better than a right like Kansas city winter.
27:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that's going to suck.
27:43
[SPEAKER_01]: It sucks that they have to they're going to play in that.
27:46
[SPEAKER_01]: when they could be in Santa Clara and it would be great.
27:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, they would be like, it would be 70, probably, maybe a little chilly, like, totally fine.
27:54
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah, we've got to have to figure it out.
27:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you're right about week four being a litmus test.
28:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, so like, maybe diving into the schedule a little more concretely.
28:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's to dare playing the Broncos, the Seahawks,
28:16
[SPEAKER_01]: the chargers, the eagles, the chiefs.
28:20
[SPEAKER_01]: The chiefs.
28:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, so, excluding the chiefs, I've already listed like six or seven games, eight games, I don't know, I can't do that.
28:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Seven games probably, against like playoff teams.
28:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, then you got some really good talented teams when it comes to like the cowboys, the Vikings, they got the quarterback situation figured out.
28:45
[SPEAKER_01]: the cheese will be back like there's there's a real talent I think on this schedule that's going to be particularly difficult and really like I mean they're first four weeks right they're playing two super bowl contenders and two like number one overall pick two archman and contenders so it's going to be a real interesting thing uh
29:06
[SPEAKER_01]: interesting first four weeks make like breaking the season down into like quadrants and then I don't know throwing five for the final one now that the schedule is weird.
29:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
29:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I really think they have to go three in one in this stretch and that requires like stealing a game quote unquote stealing to game against a team that is very very good because as we'll see as we go further down there's
29:32
[SPEAKER_01]: they're gonna go like two and two or what if one and like there's going to be more losses but they have to be able to sort of take one especially early when they're healthy and before like they get hit with the grind of playing really, really competitive football teams every week.
29:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean the nice thing is that even in that gauntlet at the end there is a little bit of
29:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, again, they play Seattle on November 29th, their next game is the Giants, and maybe the Giants will be better, but I still don't think the Giants are going to be like play off contenders or anything this year, partially because of the division that they play in and all that kind of stuff.
30:13
[SPEAKER_00]: So they get a little bit of break there before they get the Rams.
30:17
[SPEAKER_00]: The Chargers are an interesting team, obviously, in the Thursday night of it all.
30:21
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll change things there for an owner still get there so if I they're opportunity to take over so if I stay a much it's really nice
30:29
[SPEAKER_00]: it's it the Kansas City one is the one that that like scares me the most out of that group one because the couch and hand just not has not figured out a way to beat Andy read yet um obviously the weather big factors December the 27th in Kansas City it's probably going to be quite cold um very uncomfortable I just like that that game worries me and just like the long-term repercussions of what it might
30:53
[SPEAKER_00]: but what it how it might impact the team, especially with only two games left in the regular season after that, and then the play also fully.
31:01
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the one that makes me go, I don't care for that at all.
31:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm but like that like four game stretch right there.
31:10
[SPEAKER_01]: So even excluding like put the handle out for a second.
31:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
31:14
[SPEAKER_01]: You have a big lead to and move on like starting week 14 play off team and I like maybe the most talented roster than it fell in the Rams.
31:27
[SPEAKER_01]: The charges who were a playoff team and I think are just going to be better.
31:30
[SPEAKER_01]: The cheves were definitely going to be better in last year and it's in the way game.
31:34
[SPEAKER_01]: in Kansas City.
31:35
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the Eagles who like are just a difficult team to play against, even notwithstanding the fact that the Niners have been able to win a couple.
31:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Like that's four games right there.
31:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I think even if we think the 49ers are phenomenal team, like super talented or whatever, they could easily lose all four.
31:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's sort of what I mean by like, there's no way to guarantee
32:01
[SPEAKER_01]: There's going to, it's a real like question mark of how are they going to be able to perform there that's like but that's that's like not insignificant number of like games right like and I like I'm sort of fumbling about to make a pretty clear point which is that.
32:22
[SPEAKER_01]: That's that's like a that's a pretty big gauntlet of teams.
32:27
[SPEAKER_01]: You're going to play very close to the end.
32:29
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you're already like kind of if you on your playoff spot.
32:33
[SPEAKER_01]: That's not like an easy situation to be like, okay, you have a chance here.
32:37
[SPEAKER_01]: That's like they're going to I think they're play off position.
32:44
[SPEAKER_01]: needs to be pretty solidified around the time they get here obviously you can't lose four games and make the playoffs that's going to be kind of like for in a row and make the playoffs is going to be kind of unreasonable but you have to have the ability to go like 1 and 3.
33:02
[SPEAKER_01]: or two and two in that situation because I really just think even if everyone if everyone is healthy right and every team is playing at their peak capacity, I genuinely don't know how like
33:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I couldn't say for sure right now, not knowing obviously how these teams are going to look, that the 49ers wouldn't more than two games of that.
33:24
[SPEAKER_01]: You just like, the other teams are just too good as well.
33:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, obviously the 49ers could go undefeated in what it all.
33:31
[SPEAKER_01]: We all want that if you're listening to this podcast, but like, that's like a real stretch of constant competition.
33:41
[SPEAKER_01]: That I don't think is like,
33:43
[SPEAKER_01]: anywhere else on their schedule, right?
33:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the closest thing you get is like a Broncos 49ers Broncos Seahawks back to back weeks.
33:51
[SPEAKER_01]: That's about it.
33:52
[SPEAKER_01]: After that, there's not really that same level of, wow, consistently great real challenge of teams overall.
33:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think, I don't know, that's just, that's like a unique perk of the schedule is that they got a real murderous row at the end.
34:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
34:08
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
34:09
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, they get to start a little bit a little softer in some ways.
34:14
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, and that will help.
34:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that will help some of what they're trying to do.
34:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it'll be very interesting to see like how that kind of plays out.
34:24
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
34:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Do we do we have any other, any other things to say about the schedule?
34:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that I feel a great need to go through game by game unless you feel very strongly about that because I already did it.
34:42
[SPEAKER_00]: So.
34:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, so I would say for sure everyone take a look at Robert's piece.
34:48
[SPEAKER_01]: He is he is the master of gunk.
34:50
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a flag protecting games on the schedule.
34:54
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what he does.
34:55
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not going to tell you how many words it was because it was nuts.
34:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just going to flag that, you know, the first four, I think.
35:04
[SPEAKER_01]: The Niners have a good opportunity, but really it's for a week six to week 11, which is
35:15
[SPEAKER_01]: They're playing the commanders, then it's the Falcons, it's the Biods, the Raiders, it's the Cowboys, it's the Vikings.
35:21
[SPEAKER_01]: That I think is like the Money Stretch.
35:23
[SPEAKER_01]: That's when the team needs to really be playing at their, like they should be playing at their best all the time, but like you want to go like five and one, six and no there, because those are all winnable, even though some of those teams are talented, like those are games that the four of you on or should be favored for, as of right now.
35:40
[SPEAKER_01]: and you have to buy in between.
35:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I think if they really take advantage of that part of their schedule, that builds the buffer that I've been talking about for Seattle, the Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, Eagles, you know, I think that like if they walk out of that stretch, like
36:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe a little above, then I'm worried, then that means like this season is going to rise.
36:10
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's interesting.
36:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You usually don't get a chance to really gauge how well a season is going early, because there's a lot of football, but I really do think we're going to know a lot about this team and sort of how they're operating at or around the by, because it's just going to let you know like, have they been taking advantage of their opportunities or is this going to be an uphill climb?
36:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Which is exciting.
36:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you know,
36:33
[SPEAKER_01]: It'll be stressful if they haven't taken advantage of their opportunities, but, you know, we'll be fun.
36:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And then like there's a lot of really fun games here.
36:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, just like, you know, playing the Raiders in Levi's, that's going to be a real interesting, like, and then you play the Cowboys right after that.
36:51
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just like, a lot of them.
36:55
[SPEAKER_01]: What are rivalries on the schedule?
36:57
[SPEAKER_01]: All they needed was to toss in the packer somewhere.
37:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And I mean, you could probably argue that every major 49ers rival is on the schedule this year.
37:05
[SPEAKER_01]: So it would be a, that would be fun.
37:08
[SPEAKER_01]: But like, it'll be good.
37:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, I'm very excited for this team.
37:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited to sort of see how they jell together.
37:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully they jell quickly.
37:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's important that they jell quickly, but real good football will be played.
37:25
[SPEAKER_01]: in Santa Clara or by the 49ers and I think for that, the schedule is really exciting to me.
37:30
[SPEAKER_00]: For sure.
37:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, all right, couple of, uh, so spoiler mini spoiler alert.
37:36
[SPEAKER_00]: So that point that you were talking about the up through the, the game of Mexico City, I have the 49ers at 8 and 2 through 10.
37:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, that is, um, that's what, that's what you need.
37:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I think if you're 8 and 2 out of week 11,
37:53
[SPEAKER_01]: probably make the playoffs, which is important, right?
37:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I think that's your buffer.
38:00
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's like, I think that's that's a good range for where they would want to be at.
38:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And ideally they want to be undefeated, but for sure.
38:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Eight and two, you're feeling good about like their playoff chances and how the season is going.
38:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Even though you'll probably get a lot of the light, they haven't played anyone, blah, blah, blah nonsense.
38:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, but sure.
38:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I actually do want to do want to throw a record prediction out just off top.
38:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to go 12 and 5.
38:31
[SPEAKER_00]: I think sounds like a good number.
38:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Luz they're going to lose to I think one to two games in the division.
38:38
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to lose one game they should have won.
38:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Probably going to lose the Kansas City, but like I don't know, like I'm I'm really optimistic about this team.
38:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I think if they're coaching their players up the
38:50
[SPEAKER_01]: They seem to think they can.
38:52
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of talent on this team.
38:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think the talent exodus from two years ago has stopped.
39:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And if the team last year made the playoffs, like this team was way better than the team last year.
39:05
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm excited.
39:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they're gonna do well.
39:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not really sure what this ceiling of this team is, but I think they have a much higher floor
39:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Some people in the media might be given the credit for it.
39:24
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
39:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Well said, I'm going to go and wrap it up with these two final, with these final words of folks at fanside at Brass.
39:32
[SPEAKER_00]: If you would like to get me into the game in Atlanta, I would certainly appreciate that.
39:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you very much.
39:37
[SPEAKER_00]: And with that, I will say thanks for listening to this episode of the 9 or noise podcast part of the fanside at podcast.
39:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Network.
39:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Please continue to check out nine and always for all dot com for all your latest 49ers news and analysis and be sure to rate and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen and of course share it with your fellow 49er fan friends so until next time let's sound the horn 49ers