ESPN ran its annual simulation of the entire season based on its own Football Power Index (FPI). How did the San Francisco 49ers fare? The good news is that they won the NFC West and earned the even-more-valuable-this-season No. 1 seed in the playoffs, holding off the Los Angeles Rams after both teams finished the season with matching 11-5 records.
ESPN has the 49ers going 3-0 before finally losing to the Philadelphia Eagles at home. They don't just lose, but get embarrassed by a score of 42-7. San Francisco bounces back by routing the Miami Dolphins 51-17 and goes on to suffer regular-season losses against the Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys.
Below are the projected NFC West standings.
San Francisco 49ers - 11-5
Los Angeles Rams - 11-5
Seattle Seahawks - 9-7
Arizona Cardinals - 8-8
The simulation, which bakes in some of analyst Mike Clay's player projections, has the 49ers finishing as the No. 2 offense in the NFL with 457 points scored. That's second only to the Baltimore Ravens' 459.
A top offense and home-field advantage don't help the 49ers in the playoffs, it would seem. ESPN has Kyle Shanahan's squad being knocked off 39-26 in the Divisional Round by the wildcard Cowboys, who went on to earn a Super Bowl berth.
The Kansas City Chiefs end up emerging as repeat champions with a 42-17 win over Dallas.
None of this, of course, means anything. The 2020 season will be played on the football field and not within a simulation. So we'll have to wait to see how the real thing unfolds.
ESPN doesn't expect much from 49ers' Jordan James in Year 1
By David Bonilla
May 16
ESPN's Mike Clay evaluated the landscape for rookie NFL running backs, projecting the potential roles of several first-year players. Among them is Jordan James, whom the San Francisco 49ers selected in the fifth round of the draft out of Oregon. James joins a backfield led by...
ESPN reveals why Kurtis Rourke could thrive with the 49ers
By David Bonilla
May 15
The San Francisco 49ers were widely expected to target a quarterback in the later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Still, few anticipated they'd take a chance on one recovering from ACL surgery—especially one who may not be ready to compete for a roster spot during training...
ESPN expects 'fearless' draft pick to make immediate impact for 49ers
By David Bonilla
May 12
The San Francisco 49ers used their first two draft selections to reinforce the defensive line, aiming to build a dominant front for years to come. In the third round, they addressed another defensive need by selecting Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin, who could help fill...
Ricky Pearsall has a starter's mindset—and the 49ers are taking notice
By David Bonilla
May 12
Ricky Pearsall endured significant adversity during his rookie NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers. The former first-round draft pick suffered a gunshot wound to the chest just before the start of the regular season, delaying his NFL debut until Week 7 on October 20,...
