49ers schedule: Predicting record vs. NFC West in 2022

Week 2: 49ers vs. Seahawks

San Francisco couldn’t have asked for a better time to play the Seahawks, Week 2.

For starters, Week 1 games are always a bit weird, so the 49ers avoid that potential pitfall. Yet whichever quarterback Seattle decides to deploy this season, Drew Lock or Geno Smith, is still going to be far off from finding a midseason-form rhythm.

Sure, Seattle might have crushed its 2022 NFL Draft class, particularly by upgrading what has long since been a lackluster offensive line.

But, is anyone to believe either Lock or Smith can effectively carry the Seahawks offense well enough to contend again within the division? Should the Hawks even be viewed as a potential .500 team this year?

No, probably not.

However, that isn’t the reason why the Niners wind up being 10-point winners here.

Seattle will be hosting Russell Wilson and the Broncos in a high-profile Monday Night Football matchup in Week 1. The short week, followed by travel aside, the Seahawks are going to be emotionally drained by whatever that matchup produces, meaning they’ll likely endure some sort of lackluster effort the following week in Santa Clara.

Good for San Francisco, which starts off its 2022 divisional record 1-0.