The NFL released its full 2019 regular-season schedule on Wednesday. Fans immediately tried to look at the San Francisco 49ers schedule and predict what the team's final record might be. We've seen extremely optimistic fans jokingly (at least, I assume they were joking) predicting an undefeated season to pessimistic fans projecting an 0-9 start. And, of course, everything in between.
It's April, and the NFL Draft is still a week away. Making record predictions this early seems trifling. But what else are fans to do in the days following the schedule release?
What of the experts? What about the beat writers who follow the team regularly? How do they feel the 49ers will fare during the upcoming season? They know the team better than most, and some have already made their 2019 record predictions.
Let's take a look at what they foresee for the Niners in 2019. We focused on reporters who are around the team regularly.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic: 7-9
Barrows believes the 49ers defense has the best chance of improving via the upcoming draft. The team already added Dee Ford this offseason, and the addition of a rookie like Nick Bosa could be significant.
"We're talking about a team that won four games last year," Barrows said this week on 95.7 The Game. "Even if there is a nice bounce that they get out of the draft, how many [more wins] are we talking about?"
Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee: 8-8
Like several other beat writers, Biderman didn't just make a record prediction, he went week-by-week and predicted the outcome for each matchup on the 49ers' 16-game schedule. The result was a .500 finish, but Biderman has San Francisco going 2-1 out of the gate and before the bye. As for that brutal six-game finish to the season, he has the 49ers winning just two of those games.
Biderman has the 49ers beating the Bengals, Steelers, Redskins, Panthers, Falcons, and splitting each series with their NFC West opponents.
Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat: 6-10
Cohn also went week-by-week, making predictions for each matchup. He has the 49ers entering their bye week with a 1-2 record. His wins come against the Bengals, Panthers, Falcons, the Seahawks at home, and a sweep of the Cardinals. Despite the six-win season, Cohn has the 49ers going through a nice little four-game win streak starting at Week 8.
Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group: 9-7
Inman and Barros were the only beat writers who didn't go week-by-week with his prediction. In fact, Inman quickly snuck it into his recent schedule breakdown.
"Regardless of how the schedule plays out from a where-and-when standpoint, Year 3 of the Shanahan era comes with more urgency to win," wrote Inman. "He showed players a graphic this week of his roster overhaul and how only 10 players remain since 2016."
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area: 8-8
Maiocco very quickly went week-by-week in a tweet. He predicts the 49ers to win their season opener on the road against the Buccaneers, their home opener against the Steelers, and then beating the Browns, Panthers, the Seahawks and Rams at home, and sweeping the Cardinals.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN: 8-8
Wagoner also went week-by-week with his prediction. He has the 49ers beating the Bengals, Steelers, Panthers, Packers, Falcons, sweeping the Cardinals, and splitting the series against the Seahawks.
"The 49ers got no favors from the NFL in the early and latter parts of this schedule," wrote Wagoner. "San Francisco is slated to play five of its first eight games on the road, and though it will have an early bye in Week 4, it will be needed considering three of its first four trips east."
