49ers are Beginning the Toughest Stretch of Their Schedule

There is always a stretch on a team's schedule that is generally the toughest.

Plenty of factors come into play for why it is tough like having to be on the road multiple times and/or facing strong opponents. For the San Francisco 49ers, they are beginning the toughest stretch of their schedule, which is their next four games. It all starts when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles this week.

From the moment the schedule was released in May, the game against the Eagles was immediately the toughest. That is probably why the NFL schedule makers hooked up the 49ers by giving them three extra days of rest by playing Thursday Night Football on Thanksgiving the week prior. Still, facing the Eagles will require the 49ers to be at their highest level with little to no mistakes. It is a matchup that will certainly be intense and taxing.

The aftermath of this game could impact the 49ers negatively following this week when they host the Seattle Seahawks. I know the 49ers just beat them down, but coming off what is most likely to be a brutal battle with the Eagles could take its toll on them when they face Seattle. Division games are always weird after all, which is why after the 49ers face the Seahawks, it could get scary when they take on the Arizona Cardinals on the road.

Kyler Murray wasn't available for the first go around with the Cardinals and he typically gives the 49ers fits. Again, division games are always weird. Upsets can easily happen. Of all the teams in the NFC West, it is the Cardinals that have made it the toughest on the 49ers recently. To cap off the 49ers' tough four-game stretch is when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football on Christmas day. Thank goodness they are not on the road for this game.

Baltimore has been a force for much of this season. Things can always change since this game is almost a month out, but I'd suspect the Ravens will still be one of the premier teams in the AFC. Facing Lamar Jackson is going to be a handful for the 49ers defense, and the Ravens defense is also an incredibly strong one. So, the 49ers will begin their tough stretch with the strongest opponent, then finish it with another one. This stretch is going to battle test the 49ers.

Either it'll throw off their playoff seeding aspirations, or it will only add fuel to their fire for their playoff run.