5 Key Matchups in the 2021 49ers' Schedule

The 2021 NFL season starts next week, so let's break down five critical games in the 49ers' schedule.

Week 3

Packers at 49ers

Sept. 26, 10:00 AM

The first two games of the season against the Lions and the Eagles will not reflect the actual state of the 49ers. Even though the two encounters are road games, both teams do not intimidate San Francisco. The Week 3 home opener is against a team that advanced to back-to-back NFC championship games. The Packers initially had the advantage over the 49ers, but left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss the first few games. The Packers should enter this game with a 2-0 record -- they face the Saints and the Lions in the first two weeks. If the 49ers can come out triumphant, it would be a tremendous morale booster.

Jimmy Garoppolo will be tested in this game, but the 49ers will likely attack the Packers on the ground. Last season's game was a massive mismatch due to the 49ers missing multiple starters.

Week 4

Seahawks at 49ers

Oct. 3, 1:05 PM

It might be unexpected why this game is regarded as a critical matchup just in Week 4. A win can launch the path to a playoff birth and set the tone right from the outset. In a division comprising four playoff-caliber teams, it is crucial to strike early. Furthermore, the 49ers have won only 3 out of 17 games against their archrivals during the past eight years. Last year, the 49ers struggled against dual-threat quarterbacks. If the 49ers can limit the high-scoring Seattle offense and record a win, their playoff chances would be high.

The 49ers might be in a more favorable situation in this game than Seahawksdue due to the schedule. Here's the Seahawks schedule: Week 1 at the Colts, Week 2 vs. the Titans, and Week 3 at the Vikings. Two brutal games and an away game in Minnesota can affect the rhythm the Seahawks are looking for early in the season. It is the ideal opportunity for the 49ers to grab.

Week 10

Rams at 49ers

Nov. 15, 5:15 PM

The first meeting with Mathew Stafford will be an exciting one. Even at their weakest, the 49ers managed to beat the Rams twice last season. Sean McVay fixed the most vulnerable link in his team by trading away Jared Goff. The 49ers cannot expect to edge past the Rams like the last two years anymore. If the 49ers lose this game, they have two games to bounce back against the Jaguars and the Vikings. The first meeting with the Rams will be after the 49ers are done with the Cardinals for the season. The two teams will meet each other again in the last week of the regular season. An early win might help the 49ers compensate for late-season setbacks.

Week 16

49ers at Titans

Dec. 23, 5:20 PM

If the season turns out as expected, the 49ers will be fighting for a playoff berth and possibly a higher seed when they meet the Titans in Week 16. The Titans are heavily favored to win this game. They might be vying for the AFC South title against Colts by the closing weeks of the regular season. The stakes will be high for both teams. If the 49ers can stay relatively healthy, this game should be a thriller. The way the 49ers season went last year makes it hard to predict how the team will look during the business end of the season. It could be either a game decided by a close margin or a blowout victory for the Titans.

Week 18

49ers at Rams

Jan. 9, 1:25 PM

This time 49ers have a change of opponent for the last regular season game. There should not be any complaints about facing Rams instead of their Achilles heel Seattle in the final week. I picked two Rams games without including the Cardinals. That is not to undermine the Kyler Murray threat, but the schedule made me omit the two games. As stated previously in the article, the healthy 49ers team might be battling for the division title or a higher seed in this game as they did in 2019 against the Seahawks in Seattle. If the 49ers win Week 9, this game should be a grudge battle. Sean McVay would not want to get embarrassed with another destruction in the hands of Shanahan.