Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Revisiting the Franchise’s NFL-Leading Week 1 Winning Streak

By Peter Panacy

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

The San Francisco 49ers have a good recent history in Week 1. The Niners haven’t lost a season opener since 2010 and are tied for the NFL lead for Week 1 opening victories entering the 2016 season.

September 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers players run onto the field before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
September 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers players run onto the field before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Believe it or not, the San Francisco 49ers may actually set themselves apart from the rest of the NFL this Monday.

And for the good reasons. Not the bad.

San Francisco hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football to kick off their 2016 season, and the Niners have good Week 1 history they can carry into the game.

In fact, the 49ers haven’t lost a regular-season opener since 2010 — the days of former head coach Mike Singletary.

Four of these five Week 1 wins came during the reign of former head coach Jim Harbaugh. And, with the exception of 2014, it’s easy to see why the Niners were able to dominate the first game of each schedule.

Last year, one-and-done head coach Jim Tomsula led San Francisco to victory on Monday night — a rare victory in what was otherwise a disappointing 2015 campaign.

Currently, the 49ers are tied with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets for the longest Week 1 winning streak, per Pro Football Reference.

Denver already won its Week 1 bout. And if the Niners win and Jets lose, San Francisco will have one category in which it stands alone.

So let’s take a look back at the 49ers history in Week 1 over the last five years and revisit some fun times for the red and gold.

Next: 2011 versus the Seattle Seahawks