The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to appear in three prime-time games during the 2019 season. That's not bad for a team that finished last season with four victories and is entering the new season with several question marks.
The 49ers have several players coming off significant injuries. They have multiple free agent acquisitions they've bet on to come in and make an impact. They have a lot of potential talent that needs to pan out for the team to turn a corner.
Jimmy Garoppolo, who is returning from an ACL injury, is the primary reason for optimism. The team lost its franchise quarterback three weeks into last season and struggled down the stretch before winning two of its final four games.
We asked fans which prime-time 49ers matchups they are most excited about. Below are the matchups ranked from least to most interest among fans.
At Arizona Cardinals
Thursday, October 31
3.9% of the votes
The 49ers' matchup against the Arizona Cardinals was by far the prime-time game garnering the least interest in this poll. Arizona may have swept San Francisco last season, but it still finished with one fewer win and aren't expected to see a significant turnaround this season.
The Cardinals could be interesting to watch, though. They have a new head coach in Kliff Kingsbury and a new franchise quarterback in rookie Kyler Murray. Both will likely go through growing pains in their inaugural NFL seasons and within a competitive division which includes the NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams.
The interest just isn't there … yet.
Seattle Seahawks
Monday, November 11
40.3% of the votes
You just knew any prime-time game against the Seattle Seahawks was going to grab a significant number of the votes. The two matchups against the division-rival are always among the most anticipated games of the season.
The media lowered expectations surrounding the Seahawks last year following an offseason fire sale on defense, including cornerback Richard Sherman. That seemed justified after the team opened the year with two straight losses. They did, however, go on to finish the season with 10 wins, earning yet another playoff birth for the sixth time in the past seven years.
The nice aspect of this matchup — for the 49ers — is that it takes place 11 days after the team's last game, its Thursday-night prime-time matchup against the Cardinals.
Cleveland Browns
Monday, October 7
55.8% of the votes
The Cleveland Browns had one of the more exciting offseasons in recent memory for an NFL team. Among their offseason hauls was one of the best receivers in the game, Odell Beckham Jr. Because of that, Cleveland is one of the most hyped teams heading into the new season, and the 49ers host it at Levi's Stadium during Week 5.
San Francisco took a shot at acquiring Beckham but couldn't present a more enticing offer than what the New York Giants got from Cleveland without surrendering the No. 2 overall pick.
Assuming it meets expectations, Cleveland will be a good test for the 49ers coming off their bye week and following a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
