49ers schedule 2022: 4 toughest games over 2nd half of season
By Peter Panacy
With half of 2022 over, Niner Noise looks at the 49ers schedule from Weeks 10 through 18 to see what the four toughest games will be.
We’ve come quite a long way since our opening predictions about the San Francisco 49ers schedule for 2022 and how the wins and losses pan out, at least over the first half of the year.
With the Niners having an opportunistic midseason bye in Week 9, we can look back at the first eight weeks and question the 4-4 start, especially when looking at some of those hard-to-admit losses to inferior teams such as the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears or even the Atlanta Falcons.
Ironically, though, the second half of the 49ers schedule might actually be, well… easy?
OK, we won’t go there just yet. However, there are some matchups that looked to be of the marquee variety but now appear to be extremely winnable from the Niners’ vantage point. Seriously, who predicted quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be 3-5 at this point in the season? Most analysts and “experts” pegged the Bucs to be one of two or three favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season.
Perhaps not.
At any rate, looking at the back end of San Francisco’s 2022 schedule, let’s rethink what the four toughest games remaining will be.
49ers schedule tough game No. 4: Week 11 @ Cardinals (Mexico City)
Alright, the 49ers’ NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, are 3-5 on the season and haven’t exactly threatened the division as they did the last two years.
Sure, quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense have been a proverbial “thorn” in the Niners’ side over the last few years. But it’s been a middle-of-the-pack offense this season out in Arizona, while head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s defense is third worst in scoring with 210 points allowed entering Week 9.
So, why should this game in Week 11 be classified as a difficult one?
Well, it’s a neutral-site game, played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico. And while the Cardinals are technically the home team, it won’t be shocking whatsoever to see more San Francisco fans in attendance.
The challenge, though, is the fact it’s well above a mile in elevation, and that alone will create all kinds of challenges, especially for a 49ers defense looking to chase down Murray during this Monday Night Football bout.