American Football Spectacular: Calendaring The 49ers' 2007 Regular Season
Today the National Football League's 2007 schedule was let out to the general public. After last year's marked strides on the field, what does the oncoming season hold for the San Francisco 49ers?
Can QB Alex Smith continue significantly improving his play without Norv? Will all those nice offseason pick-ups gel into a usable 3-4 defense? Can RB Frank Gore's body continue to withstand the pounding that he dishes out to opposing players? And y'figure we only got another good four-or-five seasons left in the honorable DL Bryant Young, right?
Only one thing's for sure: the franchise's stadium-building business won't be settled anytime soon. If ever. It'd be no surprise at all if the Niners were still stuck with The 'Stick in 2012.
After the jump: analysis, forecasting, and a simplified text version of the 49ers' 2007 schedule suitable for wallet or wall. Just copy, paste, and print.
San Francisco 49ers
2007 Regular Season Schedule
Week/Opponent/Date/Time
w01 _ARI Sep 10 07:15pm
w02 @STL Sep 16 10:00am
w03 @PIT Sep 23 10:00am
w04 _SEA Sep 30 01:05pm
w05 _BAL Oct 07 01:15pm
w06 _BYE Oct 14
w07 @NYG Oct 21 10:00am
w08 _NO_ Oct 28 01:15pm
w09 @ATL Nov 04 10:00am
w10 @SEA Nov 12 05:30pm
w11 _STL Nov 18 01:15pm*
w12 @ARI Nov 25 01:05pm*
w13 @CAR Dec 02 10:00am*
w14 _MIN Dec 09 01:05pm*
w15 _CIN Dec 15 05:15pm
w16 _TB_ Dec 23 05:15pm*
w17 @CLE Dec 30 10:00am*
* Note: Sunday night games in Weeks 11-17 subject to change. The CIN game is on a Saturday night.
Let's talk this out:
* w01 ARI / w02 @STL: The season opens on Monday Night Football in the glare of the national spotlight. The 49ers must get out of the gate fast against the rebooted Arizona American football Cardinals. One of the ways SF could make the playoffs this year is by actually winning the NFC West division. Yeah, we said it. Playoffs. It's been a while.
The Rams and the Cards are in flux, and SF swept the swooning Seahawks in 2006. This could happen, yes? So, if Head Coach Nolan II can begin the season with a one-two punch against division rivals, portents would bode well.
* w04 SEA: And colloquially speakin' of which, you know Seattle ain't sleeping on the 49ers anymore. After the Niners swept the Seahawks last year, SF served notice that they were ready to contend to win the division. The 49ers bloodied the division leader's nose. Too bad they couldn't take care of beating the other two teams. This w04 battle will set who will lead and who will chase in the NFC West race this season.
* w05 BAL: For the first time, Head Coach Nolan II squares off against his former team. Nolan was the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 2002 to 2004. That fearsome adaptive 3-4 defense that Baltimore currently sports was largely cobbled together by him. And now he must face what he has wrought.
* w08 NO / w09 @ATL: W08 through w12 is a pretty wacky span of weeks for San Francisco – the 49ers face their two former pre-2002 realignment NFC West teams, and then play through their current division foes all in a row like bing-bing-bing. Heck, the Niners could have a playoff spot locked up before December! Yes, we do feel confident enough to say that.
The Saints' fast-and-loose offensive scheme mooshed the Niner defense to the tune of 34-10 in 2006. Luckily, this season the 49ers draw New Orleans at Candlestick, away from their raucous Superdome fans.
As 2007's season begins, the Falcons remain an enigma. No Atlanta head coach has ever figured out how to utilize the insanely-talented QB Michael Vick as a weapon. Video gamers have done it for years, why hasn't a coach? And now how will the latest reboot of the coaching staff effect this chronically underachieving franchise? None can say for certain.
* w10 @SEA: This week's game is the gate and the path and the way. Can the 49ers trade blows with the division champion 'Hawks at their home, in their element? The importance of this game to the 2007 season's arc for SF cannot be overstated.
* w11 STL: Beware of let-down game. Repeat; beware of let-down game!
* w15 CIN / w16 @TB: Facing Cincinnati and Tampa Bay down the stretch will be the 49ers' final two great tests of 2007. First the Niners must face the Bengals' powerful felon-stocked balanced-attack offense, and the next week brings the Bucs to town bearing defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's tight-as-a-drum-head Tampa Two D.
Next up on your American Football Spectacular: Next we answer the When and the Where you will be able to witness the Oakland Raiders' 2007 march off th' proverbial cliff. But we can't answer the Why. None but The Al know the Why.