Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
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.
Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Kyle Shanahan eager to see how 49ers respond to losing streak
By David Bonilla
Dec 6
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is eager to see how his team responds when they face the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The 49ers are reeling from a three-game losing streak, including two embarrassing defeats to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, where they were...
ESPN analyst predicts massive price tag of 49ers QB Brock Purdy's upcoming contract
By David Bonilla
Dec 12
Once the season concludes—potentially as early as January if the San Francisco 49ers don't keep winning—the team will face a critical decision regarding quarterback Brock Purdy. The third-year signal-caller will be eligible for his first contract extension, which...
With the San Francisco 49ers fighting to avoid playoff elimination in the final stretch of the regular season, it's also time to start considering mock drafts and the players experts believe could help the team bounce back from another potentially disappointing campaign.
ESPN...
Recap: 49ers' playoffs hopes fade after falling to Rams in 12-6 snoozefest
By Kirk Larrabee
16 hrs
Usually, when the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet on the football field, the results tend to be entertaining if not exciting. Thursday night's meeting was the opposite, and the result might wind up being the last straw for the 49ers when it comes to their...
