San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers Could Still Go 3-1 over First Quarter of 2016 Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The San Francisco 49ers are still tied for the NFC West lead after losing to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. With two winnable games in Weeks 2 and 3, the Niners could feasibly start the first quarter of the 2016 NFL season with a 3-1 record. Let’s break down why.

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (69) rushes Dallas Cowboys tackle John Wetzel (61) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

So the San Francisco 49ers aren’t quite the team that dominated the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football to open up the 2016 season.

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The Niners fell 46-27 to the reigning NFC champion Carolina Panthers last Sunday, and the loss revealed more of what is wrong with San Francisco than what’s going well.

All that said, the 49ers (1-1) are still tied for the NFC West division lead and, when one stops to think about it, have a legitimate chance to finish the first quarter of 2016 with a 3-1 record.

This isn’t just a lofty hope-for-the-best or any-given-Sunday projection either. And it would be a great way to start the Chip Kelly era, considering how many have viewed the Niners’ chances over the offseason.

Remember this — San Francisco wasn’t favored to win any of its regular-season games this year. So any victory could be viewed as precious.

Still, any team’s schedule typically allows for three or four wins on the year. It’s why even the worst of teams wind up pulling off more than just a couple of victories in any given season.

The Niners may be even better than that though. And the remaining games between Weeks 3 and 4 lend San Francisco a chance to finish the first 25 percent of the NFL calendar with a winning record.

What a thought! Let’s recap how the Niners got here and why an above-.500 mark before Week 5 is possible.

Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) catches a pass during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

How the 49ers Got to a 1-1 Record

Remember, the 49ers were two-point underdogs to the Rams in Week 1.

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And yet the Monday Night Football drubbing of the recently relocated NFC West rival seemed to indicate the Niners may actually be a bit better than the credit they received.

We know what happened already. The Niners rolled out to a 28-point victory, thanks to a stalwart defense and running back Carlos Hyde’s two-touchdown night.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert merely had to be efficient. He was, albeit his efforts were nothing more than pedestrian.

Granted, Los Angeles is looking like one of the more offensively challenged teams in the NFL. Outside of running back Todd Gurley, of course.

Yet the Niners crashed back down to earth in Week 2.

This is probably more what fans expected out of the 49ers. Something along the lines of the 46-27 drubbing San Francisco took against one of the league’s elite.

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But the Niners are nowhere near on par with what the Panthers are right now. Carolina remains a Super Bowl contender. The 49ers would consider an 8-8 season a glaring success.

Yet San Francisco’s upcoming two matchups actually appear winnable. Especially with the offensively challenged Seattle Seahawks on the table.

Nov 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) eludes a sack against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 29-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Week 3 at Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks would normally pose a near-impossible challenge for the 49ers. Especially at CenturyLink Field, where the Niners haven’t won since 2011.

All streaks have to come to an end, right?

That time could be now. Really, it could. Through two weeks, the Seahawks have managed just 15 points and one lone touchdown. These numbers are a far cry from the fourth-ranked NFL offense from a year ago.

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Quarterback Russell Wilson is still dealing with an ankle injury. Running back Thomas Rawls is banged up. And No. 1 wide receiver Doug Baldwin is dealing with a knee injury.

Granted, Seattle’s defense has still been able to hold both the Miami Dolphins and Rams to a combined 19 points — fewest in the NFL over two weeks.

But there is zero offensive production.

One of the major reasons why the Seahawks haven’t been able to do much on offense this year is due to their offensive line. Pro Football Focus noted the “Seahawks’ offensive line was bullied all day long by the Rams defenders, and simply could not get the running game going nor protect their quarterback.”

And this further hampered their ability to move the ball, per PFF’s Steve Palazzolo:

Seahawks offensive line ranked in bottom four in both pass and run blocking @PFF

— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) September 19, 2016

San Francisco’s pass rush and run-stopping abilities were more than problematic against the Panthers in Week 2. But Carolina’s offensive line is, far and away, superior to whatever the Seahawks are fielding.

And so the opportunity presents itself. The Niners defense can take advantage, even if they’re not favored in this road bout.

If they do, the win will be because of this factor. And it’s a factor not out of sight.

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs past Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Kyle Wilber (51) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Week 4 versus Dallas Cowboys

Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott will come back to earth at some point during this season. It’s hard to believe the former Mississippi State signal-caller will post up numbers worthy of Rookie of the Year hype.

The numbers aren’t exactly All-Pro worthy either. He owns an 83.1 passer rating over two games and has yet to throw a passing touchdown.

OK, fine. It’s early. And having offensive weapons like wide receiver Dez Bryant and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott should provide a boost, right?

Maybe not. Elliott is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and only 67.0 yards per game. Bryant has been a moderate factor, with a 55-yard-per-game average, but he has yet to be a game-changer this season.

Sure, the Niners defense could be the perfect opportunity for Dallas’ offense to come alive. But one should expect San Francisco to be much more aggressive on defense against Prescott and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

Oh, and with a slew of suspensions on defense, the 49ers offense might not have to worry so much about the kind of prowess seen in Weeks 1 through 3.

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Simply put, the Cowboys haven’t done enough to show they are legitimate favorites to pull off their second road win in four weeks’ time.

And the Niners, eager to get back home after a surprising road upset in Seattle, will be carrying much more momentum into the contest.

It’s not out of the question, folks. San Francisco has the tools and the opportunity to start 2016 with a 3-1 mark. And that would be incredible, considering the context.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.