You can't make everyone happy. If Adam Rank didn't know that before, he certainly knows it now. The NFL Network analyst drew criticism from several NFL fanbases last month, including the Niner Faithful, when he predicted the records for all 32 teams.
Rank projected the San Francisco 49ers to go 3-13 as he went through the 2019 NFL schedule game-by-game in a feature for NFL Network. That mark is one win worse than last season and three victories fewer than 2017's record. The analyst had the 49ers coming out on top in matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals.
Rank apparently made matters worse by downgrading the record prediction to 2-14 during a recent appearance on "Good Morning Football," according to KNBR host Mark Willard. That probably isn't going to sit well with 49ers fans.
Rank joined KNBR on Monday night to discuss his controversial prediction and urged Willard to point his skepticism elsewhere.
"Listen, don't get mad at me," Rank told Willard. "Your guys are the dudes who are compiling that team. I'm only sitting here reporting the facts and going through this scientifically."
Rank explains that instead of blindly predicting each team's record based on the talent it has, he went through the entire NFL schedule game-by-game and picked his projected winner for each matchup. That means Rank believes the 49ers will lose to 13 opponents (or 14 depending on which prediction you look at) during the upcoming season based on his talent-versus-talent analysis.
"I know it probably won't end up that way," Rank continued as he defended his prediction, "and I think it's more of an indication of where I feel that they are compared to the other teams in their division and the NFC. It didn't work out very well. What do you want me to say, Mark?"
Rank further explains that he likes quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo but isn't ready to declare him an elite quarterback based on his limited number of career starts and the fact that he is coming off of a torn ACL. He feels there are question marks among his supporting cast at running back and wide receiver, too.
Rank doesn't dislike the 49ers roster but feels several players still need to prove themselves. He does, however, believe San Francisco could be a surprise team this season if everything falls into place.
"You're in a good division with two of the best teams in the NFC," Rank adds.
You can listen to the entire interview with Rank below.
