Debunking the "tough" schedule

I apologize if this has been covered but....

Someone please help me understand all the hype about the Niners so called tough schedule, It's the main discussion when talking about the success we're going to have this year. The only thing I can complain about is the fact that we have to go to GB AGAIN for the 3rd time in a row. Why can't they come here? Isn't it only fair? IMHO it seems as though the NFL coddles their meal tickets and has us play there because that way GB has a better chance of winning on the famed Lambeau Field....but I digress.

You can Google the NFL future schedules and it will give you who we play the next 5 years, home and away, no surprises. The ONLY difference being in the 2 extra games vs comparable opponents. This year it happens to be NYG & N.O. If this was 2011 with a 13-3 record it would have been N.O. & G.B. instead of Tampa Bay and Detroit, 2013 it would be G.B. & NYG, so what is the big deal??? So because of these TWO extra games our schedule is projected to be so tough that we won't be able to handle it?? I find it insulting that some of these so called "experts" predict a 9-7 record on that simple fact. If we went 0-16 last year, we'd still be playing N.E., Chicago, G.B. & Detroit.

So outside of the "target on your back" and being the "hunted", what gives? Personally I think if we are being hunted, that works to our advantage cuz then teams will come to play with the intensity that we've had all along....of course then they'll say it's cuz of our "weak" division. But that's just East Coast Bias...and that's for another thread.

Dnr my niguh, dnr

Saints, Pats, Lions, Packers, Giants... yeah that's a bit tougher bro-ham. That's 5 playoff teams, all top-10 in the league.

Bears & Seahawks at Century Link aren't a walk in the park either.


Compare that to Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, & Steelers... I'll take last year's schedule in a heartbeat.

Don't care too much about the schedule right now. I think it will be an exciting season getting to play all of these top teams during the season will have us battle tested come playoff time for sure this year. I am so ready for the season to start already.

The 2 division winners is the only thing that changes...the schedule is already set for years to come.. We ended up with a tough sched this year. The patriots ended up with a easy sched

I dont really care about the strength of schedule this year. I've been out of the country living in Toronto, Canada for the last 8 years. So with me moving back to the States in a month or so, im so pumped that i get to see my 49ers again Live. The last time i was at a game, 49ers were still a powerhouse. Now with 49ers back where they belong(SuperBowl contenders)again. It'll be like i never left. Wooooooooooooooooooo! This is great!

I actually think it's less about the schedule and more about the difficulty in repeating the success the team had in certain key areas. Namely, injuries and turnover margin.

The schedule appears to be tough, but any fan who has been around for a while knows that things change quickly. Teams that look tough in the offseason implode and teams that look like pushovers have breakout years.

That's why they play the games.

It's a tough schedule b/c they are facing better opponents and have a 1st place schedule. Schedule was tough last year too. But it's good to look at how many pro bowl/elite qb's we face vs how many the other teams in our division faces. But like some have said you never know which of these teams turn out to not be tough. Right now it's only on paper.

we played the vaunted nfc east and vaunted afc north last year and did just fine. afc north had 3 playoff teams we won 2 out of 3 against them

Tough schedule to be sure, but all we have to do is take care of business in our own back yard. Sweep the rams, and Tards...easy, the Hags at Centruylink are tough, but we can win it, say we split them. Saints, Pats, Lions, Packers, and Giants are all tough, but winnable, say we go 2/3 hear here, so now we are looking at. seven wins so far, not out of the question, 7/4 we go 3 out of 5 with the rest of or schedule, 10/6 NFC west champs. We are the only team in the NFC West good enough to get 10 wins, we have a great shot at winning the west. Yeah, tough schedule...tougher team, go ask the cowboy.

Originally posted by NickSh49:

Saints, Pats, Lions, Packers, Giants... yeah that's a bit tougher bro-ham. That's 5 playoff teams, all top-10 in the league.

Originally posted by lamontb:

It's a tough schedule b/c they are facing better opponents and have a 1st place schedule.

Yes but like I said, this schedule for the 2012 season has been known for years. What's the surprise? A 1st place schedule?? That's only a difference of 2 games, nothing else has changed. We knew we were going to play 14 of these games a long time ago regardless if if we went 16-0 or 0-16

Originally posted by NickSh49:
Saints, Pats, Lions, Packers, Giants... yeah that's a bit tougher bro-ham. That's 5 playoff teams, all top-10 in the league.

Bears & Seahawks at Century Link aren't a walk in the park either.


Compare that to Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, & Steelers... I'll take last year's schedule in a heartbeat.

We did the Lions and Giants last year so really the difference is

Saints Pats Packers

Eagles Ravens Steelers

All three of the bottom teams were expected to be tough championship caliber teams to start the season and we won 2 of 3.

I personally love that we are playing all these elite QB's. If we can beat them, and really learn from the ones we lose to, this team could be forged into a powerhouse football team come playoffs. By playing the best we will be that much stronger.

We will have the toughest schedule because we will knock some player out to make it easy for the next team that plays them.

Teams should have been thanking us last year for weakening their opponents.

I never believed in strength of schedule when talking about the NFL. The NFL has such parity that SoS is a moot point. On paper this upcoming season is no worse then last season. SoS is nothing more then a topic for talking heads.

With the parity in the league, EVERY schedule is a tough schedule. Also, it IS a lot tougher to keep your intensity up game in and game out when you're the hunted. You can't slip up because the other team will always bring it.

Combine that with the probability that the 9ers will not be +28 in turnovers again and will not have the same injury luck, yes, we have a very tough schedule.