© Orlando Ramirez | 2019 Oct 13
Everyone surrounding the 49ers these days is walking around like we just got out of the dentist’s office on laughing gas — light-headed, smiling, feeling no pain.
Heck, even venerable Ronn Owens of KGO stopped me in the hallway on Monday and said only: “Five and oh. Five and oh!”
Ronn and I go way back to the days when the 49ers ruled this town on Candlestick Sundays. For the record, I didn’t ask him if he was on laughing gas.
So in the interest of more water cooler chat, let’s go ahead and play the “Schedule Game” or, “How Good Can It Get For the 2019 49ers?” Today on the show, a caller asked if it was too early to start talking playoffs. I hit him with the late Bob Kennedy edict, “Some people look at the NFL playoffs and say ‘why’? I look at the NFL playoffs and say ‘why not’?”
To the schedule and the guessing game:
Week 7 — At Washington Redskins.
Bro. Seriously. 49ers move to 6-0!
Week 8 — vs. Carolina at Levi’s.
Uh oh. Kyle Allen, the former No. 1 high school QB recruit in the country, and Christian McCaffrey, the Stanford kid looking to put a foot up fellow Stanford-ites John Lynch and Rich Sherman, make for a daunting duo these days.
But, wait. Have you seen this 49ers defense? Niners move to 7-0!
Week 9 — At Arizona.
I have a weird feeling about this game. Kyler Murray is coming on. Even though Arizona’s defense is atrocious, you get the 49ers in that weird airplane hangar in the desert, strange things happen. Add Kyle Shanahan’s historically odd record against the Cardinals, and I’ll throw in a letdown loss.
7-1, sports fans.
Week 10 — vs. Seattle at Levi’s, Monday Night.
The AZ loss only sets up a wild and crazy Levi’s Stadium on Monday night. Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner make it their life’s mission to stop Ramblin’ Russ Wilson. In front of a Levi’s crowd that doesn’t want to hear it from the “12s” — Niners win.
8-1 feels good! No turkey legs at midfield, either.
Week 11 — vs. Arizona, at Levi’s.
Must. Have. Revenge. On. Those. Dastardly. Cardinals.
Get the 49ers out of that weird airplane hangar in the desert, and now it’s a 9-1 49ers team that is grabbing the national spotlight.
Week 12 — vs. Green Bay, at Levi’s.
Aaron Rodgers vs. that 49ers pass rush? Sign me up, sports fans. The third straight home game gives the team much-needed comfort, and by this point, pre-Thanksgiving, Levi’s will be finding itself as a true home field advantage. Even with those Cheeseheads present.
The 49ers aren’t 10-1, are they? Yes, grasshopper. They are.
Week 13 — at Baltimore.
Hmmm. Emotional win over Green Bay. Cross-country game. Lamar Jackson presenting weird problems with his legs. This one doesn’t feel good. Plus, it’s the NFL.
The 49ers fall to 10-2.
Week 14 — at New Orleans.
The 49ers are staying on the road during this week, looking to re-create their “Sleepover Magic” from the Tampa Bay/Cincinnati double dip earlier this year. You remember sleepovers with your buddies — popcorn, movies, staying up late. Good vibes all around, except it’s sometimes weird when your friend’s toothpaste is different brand than yours.
Plus, Drew Brees should be back. The Superdome is loud. And the 49ers need a little turbulence in their lives. I see the first losing streak of the season.
At 10-3, are the 49ers in crisis? 808-KNBR!
Week 15 — vs. Atlanta, at Levi’s.
Ah, there we go. Nothing solves a crisis like the terrible Falcons defense. The 49ers get right.
11-3, and call off the dogs.
Week 16 — vs. the Rams, at Levi’s.
By this point, the Rams’ weird season could be teetering on the edge of missing the playoffs. They’ll be desperate. But Kyle Shanahan has newfound ownage of Sean McVay.
The 49ers not only win, they improve to 12-3 and clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs.
There. I said it.
Week 17 — at Seattle.
What, you want me to say the 49ers go 13-3? Draw an exact parallel to Bill Walsh’s third year, when he went 13-3 and, gulp, went all the way? I can’t in good faith take such a leap in the Jock Blog. Seattle will be playing to host a wild card. 49ers will rest some players.
How does 12-4 sound?
See you at Levi’s in January, kids.