The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 through four weeks, as they’ve navigated the early part of their schedule well with notable wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. Now, in Week 5, they get the Seattle Seahawks on the road in their most difficult matchup yet, and one that has given San Francisco fits in recent years.
Through four weeks, we’ve learned a lot in the NFL, with some teams exceeding expectations, while others have struggled. While there’s definitely room for change over the course
of the season, we’re starting to see what teams look like in 2026.
So, it’s a good time to revisit San Francisco’s schedule, which was perceived to be especially hard over the final weeks of the year. Let’s go week-by-week and assess the matchup for the rest of the season.
Week 5: @ Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
Despite dealing with an injury to Sam Darnold for a few weeks, the Seahawks are 3-1, with their lone loss coming to the Washington Commanders in a 33-31 road loss with Darnold healthy.
The Seahawks defense has been quite good, as expected under Mike McDaniel, and the main question stemming from last year is their run game without Kenneth Walker. This will be a challenge, and one that will be telling for the 49ers offense after their hot start.
Week 6: vs. Washington Commanders (1-3)
The Commanders have lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts, while beating the Seahawks in a close game with Marcus Mariota. They’ve been all over the place.
Washington’s offensive line was hit with injuries, and Jayden Daniels has missed two games now and could be back for Week 6. They played the Eagles very close, but Philly doesn’t look good. They were blown out, though, by the Cowboys and Colts, and are probably trending down compared to preseason expectations.
Still, there’s a bit of unknown with this team, as we haven’t seen Daniels healthy for enough time to get a sense of their offense.
Week 7: @ Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
The Falcons are 2-2, with both wins coming after Michael Penix was inserted into the starting lineup. They’ve blown out the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints and are definitely trending up heading into Week 3.
Atlanta’s defense, especially against the run, where they’re No. 1 in EPA allowed per play, has impressed, despite missing some key edge rushers. Kevin Stefanski has done a really good job of making things easy for Penix by getting the ball out quickly, and Bijan Robinson is just a different runner.
This game could sneakily give the 49ers some problems on the ground with their run defense, making it a tougher matchup than expected. But I do think this could be a good matchup for the 49ers defense, which has done well keeping the ball in front of them when quarterbacks get it out quickly this season.
Week 8: BYE WEEK
Week 9: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (3-1)
Talk about improvements. The Raiders have been one of the NFL’s pleasant surprises behind Klint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins. Now, they’ve beaten the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Los Angeles Chargers.
But they did come back late to play the Kansas City Chiefs close in Week 4 in a 30-27 loss. The Raiders defense has done quite well against both the run and the pass, ranking second in EPA allowed per play behind only the Minnesota Vikings.
Their passing offense has looked solid as well, especially with Brock Bowers in the lineup, although Ashton Jeanty and the run game have struggled with efficiency. Vegas plays the Patriots, Bills, and Rams over the next three weeks ahead of their matchup with the 49ers, so we’ll get a clearer picture of how they are against tough opponents, but they’ve looked better than expected so far this season.
Week 10: @ Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
It’s a very similar story with the Cowboys, who have the second-most points in the NFL and a defense that ranks dead last (by a considerable margin) in EPA allowed per dropback and 31st, behind only the Detroit Lions in EPA allowed per play.
Dallas’s offense has really been clicking, with Dak Prescott looking like a dark-horse MVP candidate once again, and the Cowboys just beat the Houston Texans on the road 34-30. Dallas had a close 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio as well.
This will be a big test for Raheem Morris and could be a fun midseason shootout. So far, the Cowboys look just as expected.
Week 11: @ Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
The 49ers will face the Vikings on the road in Week 11, taking on one of the other two currently undefeated teams in the NFL.
Minnesota’s offense has not looked pretty under Kyler Murray, and they had to go to Carson Wentz briefly when Murray suffered a concussion. Their offense is 28th in EPA per play, as they’ve been a bottom-half rush and pass offense.
But Murray is still figuring things out, and the Vikings have had the best defense in the league through four games with a lot of ascending young talent. They’ve also yet to be really tested. They’ve faced the Packers, Bears (in a storm game), Buccaneers, and Dolphins. So, we’re in wait-and-see mode on whether this team will be well-rounded come midseason or if they waver off.
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
This one could be one of the tougher matchups of the year for the 49ers, even at home. The Seahawks will be in midseason form and should have Jadarian Price back as they try to figure out their run game issues on offense.
These three games also start a grueling stretch for the 49ers to end the year.
Week 13: @ New York Giants
The Giants were expected to be a sneaky good team in 2026 under John Harbaugh, and showed some of that life in Week 1 with a 28-20 upset over the Dallas Cowboys.
New York is still 3-1 through four weeks, but they’ve since beaten the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals, while losing 28-6 to the Los Angeles Rams. They’re also without Jaxson Dart and could be on to J.J. McCarthy by this point.
The Giants are 22nd in EPA per play offensively and 20th in EPA allowed per play defensively. Now, they still have a ton of winnable matchups between Weeks 5 and 13, so they could very well still be a playoff contender come this time. But their quarterback situation isn’t desirable after Dart’s injury.
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Rams (2-2)
This one will also be more indicative of a playoff environment, just like Week 12 against the Seahawks in a crucial division game.
The Rams have looked good offensively since their subpar Week 1 performance, ranking 10th in EPA per play over the last three weeks. They blew out the Giants in Week 2, lost to the Broncos 30-26 in Week 3, and just came back to beat the Eagles 24-20 on the road.
They’ve ranked second in EPA allowed per play defensively since Week 2 as well, and will be a tough out. That could also be a time when their veterans on defense are all settled in, making it a tougher matchup.
Week 15: @ Los Angeles Chargers (0-4)
Talk about disappointment. The Chargers have really struggled through four weeks. They look broken on offense with a bad offensive line. And while their defense is eighth in EPA allowed per play, they’ve lost by at least a touchdown in all four of their games.
And things don’t get any easier for the Chargers coming up with their brutal schedule. This team could look a lot different come Week 15. They’re definitely on the worse-than-expected side.
Week 16: @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
The Chiefs are the only other undefeated team. They were expected to bounce back after Patrick Mahomes’s ACL tear, but have even exceeded expectations on that front so far.
Kenneth Walker has invigorated their offense. The Chiefs are fourth in EPA per play and third in rushing success rate. They’ve beaten the Broncos, Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders. Mahomes has looked good. And the Chiefs are always a tough out.
This will be a tough challenge in Arrowhead Stadium.
Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
Things are falling apart in Philly. They’ve had questionable quarterback play. A struggling offensive line. A rough run game. And a defense that ranks 22nd in EPA allowed per play.
This Eagles team could also look a bit different in Week 17, as they’ve already traded away Cam Jurgens for a future second-round pick. They’re in position for a playoff spot still in their division, obviously, but it’s unclear what to expect from this group.
Week 18: @ Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
The Cardinals have lost three straight to open Mike LaFleur’s era with the team. They were blown out by Seattle, lost to the 49ers by a touchdown, and fell to the New York Giants 36-24.
Their defense has really struggled, ranked dead last in dropback EPA allowed and 30th in EPA allowed per play. Meanwhile, their offense has been functional with Jacoby Brissett, but still ranks 26th in EPA allowed per play.
With the Cardinals in a rebuild, this team could also look a lot different in Week 18.
