49ers could feasibly stay undefeated through Week 11

Without getting overly bombastic, the San Francisco 49ers actually have a realistic shot and going undefeated on the 2019 season through Week 11. Who would have thought?

No, this isn’t a San Francisco 49ers hot-take cannon in effect. But when you stop to think about things a bit, the Niners actually have a chance to start their 2019 campaign with a 10-0 record.

This isn’t just cliche, tossing out the “any given Sunday” chatter, which gives whatever squad out there a chance to do something similar. But as the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC, San Francisco could continue its current win streak through Week 11.

As a refresher, here’s how the season has gone so far:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/2/2019.

The Niners have to handle their business in Week 5, of course, coming off the early bye to take on the underperforming Cleveland Browns at home on Monday Night Football.

Bovada currently has San Francisco a 3.5-point favorite in the prime-time game, by the way.

Things get challenging in Week 6 with a road bout against the Los Angeles Rams. Yet the Rams, who were blown out at home 55-40 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a team the 49ers beat on the road in Week 1 — then lost to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, aren’t exactly the offensive powerhouse they were during their Super Bowl run a season ago.

This contest is one of two tougher ones, and rightfully so. Yet if San Francisco somehow manages a win in L.A., the following week’s game at the Washington Redskins could be a cakewalk.

After all, the winless Redskins are currently in the same category as the lowly Miami Dolphins, and both are muddling along at the bottom of nearly every NFL power rankings out there through four weeks.

The also-winless Arizona Cardinals, whom the 49ers face in Weeks 9 and 11, also don’t present too big a challenge.

Things get tricky again at home against the Carolina Panthers and Seahawks, though, in Weeks 8 and 10, respectively. And Carolina will be coming off its own bye in Week 7, giving head coach Ron Rivera an extra week of rest and preparation.

That could be the point when Panthers quarterback Cam Newton returns from a foot injury, as he’s missed the last two weeks with the setback. Ironically, those two weeks have both gone as Panthers wins. But Carolina is 7-8 against the NFC West in Newton’s starts against this division, and his 82.8 career passer rating against NFC West squads is the lowest against any division in the conference.

Again, better than possible for San Francisco.

Then there’s the Seahawks, of course, whom the 49ers finally beat late in 2018 at home. Week 10 provides an opportunity to establish a win streak. Last year’s win, with what was easily a far-less-talented Niners squad against a Seahawks team gunning for playoff positioning, helps set the tone for this possibility, too.

Granted, there are so many factors and X-factors in play for not only San Francisco, but each of the teams on the 49ers’ upcoming schedule.

And to start 10-0 this season, the Niners will have to take care of their next opponent first, the Cleveland Browns on Monday night.