49ers NFL schedule: Too-soon win/loss predictions for 2022

49ers win/loss predictions: Road games

OK, so we’ve notched a 4-2 NFC West record and San Francisco winning all but one of its other non-divisional home games at Levi’s Stadium, accounting for a 9-3 record without covering the non-NFC West road bouts.

Generally speaking, handling your business at home while striving to go .500 or better on the road is a smart way to make the playoffs.

Let’s dive into the games on the road the 49ers will play.

49ers vs. Falcons

On paper, the Niners are vastly superior to the Falcons, who face a challenging offseason anyway being over $6.5 million over the cap and don’t have the means to wholly rebuild the franchise.

Still, Atlanta gave San Francisco a tough scrap at Levi’s Stadium last year, and the Falcons surprisingly finished 7-10 when many analysts thought they’d be no more than a four- or five-win team.

The 49ers should win this game, at least on paper. But if there was a deflating road loss against an inferior opponent, this feels like it.

Prediction vs. Falcons: Loss

49ers vs. Panthers

One of the benefits the Niners have with playing the NFC South in 2022 is three-quarters of that division is in need of a quarterback and will be faced with awfully few options to upgrade.

Such is the case with the Panthers, who couldn’t make it work with Sam Darnold last season and didn’t exactly enjoy the fruits of Cam Newton’s return either.

Running back Christian McCaffrey, Carolina’s best weapon, is returning from a serious injury suffered last season, too, and asking him to do it all against a strong San Francisco defense isn’t a strong proposition from the Panthers’ vantage point.

Prediction vs. Panthers: Win

49ers vs. Bears

Perhaps first-year Bears head coach Matt Eberflus helps turn second-year quarterback Justin Fields into a bona fide star.

Still, Chicago has more than a handful of holes to fill this offseason, and it’ll probably be at least another full year before the Bears are legitimate contenders.

Prediction vs. Bears: Win

49ers vs. Broncos

Of all the teams in need of a quarterbacking upgrade, the Broncos seem the most likely to engineer one. Perhaps the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers heads on over to follow his former offensive coordinator, now-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Read More: Predicting where Jimmy Garoppolo, 5 other QBs end up playing in 2022

If that happens, Denver has almost all the pieces in place necessary to compete with an awfully tough AFC West, right up there with the likes of the Chiefs and Chargers.

If not, the Broncos will still be missing that vital piece under center despite a strong roster elsewhere.

Let’s include in our prediction the chance Rodgers jumps ship for Denver, meaning the 49ers lose this road game.

Prediction vs. Broncos: Loss

49ers vs. Raiders

The Raiders managed to navigate the storm in the wake of former head coach Jon Gruden’s dismissal and the tragedy surrounding former wide receiver Henry Ruggs last season, finishing with an admirable 10-7 regular-season record, a playoff berth and quarterback Derek Carr having arguably his best season since his Pro Bowl 2017 campaign.

With new head coach Josh McDaniels now in town, Las Vegas might be a tougher nut to crack than the last time these two teams squared off in 2018.

However, McDaniels still has to oversee fixing what was a not-good defense in 2021, and that’ll play right into the reason why the Niners pull off the victory here.

Prediction vs. Raiders: Win

San Francisco goes 3-2 in non-NFC West road games this season. And when matching up the remaining games on their schedule, our way-too-soon and pre-start-of-the-league-new-year 2022 NFL schedule predictions have the 49ers finishing the upcoming year with an impressive 12-5 finish.

Lofty? Sure. Based on 2021 rookie quarterback Trey Lance being at least as good as Jimmy Garoppolo was last season? Absolutely.

But not out of the question.