One wonders what the San Francisco 49ers did to NFL schedule makers to deserve this:
For the second season in a row, after playing the late game of the Week 1 Monday night doubleheader, the 49ers have to travel east for an early Sunday kickoff against a team that has nine days to rest. As if that in and of itself isn’t difficult enough, last year San Francisco had to play the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 2, and this year, it’s the Panthers in Carolina.
Last season, the Steelers played in the Thursday night season opener against the Patriots; this season, the Panthers played in the Thursday opener against the Broncos, meaning both teams were given extra rest before hosting the Niners on short rest.
How did it work out for the 49ers last season? After beating Minnesota 20-3 at Levi’s Stadium in Week 1, they got smoked in Pittsburgh, 43-18.
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The 49ers’ 2016 season got off to a fine start with a 28-0 win at home over the Rams on Monday night, but if the betting line is any indication, they’re about to come back to earth in a major way this week.
The Panthers are 14-point favorites vs. San Francisco. Point spreads that big are rarely seen in the NFL.
According to Ed Salmons, oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, the 49ers’ scheduling predicament is worth three points to the betting line. That's a significant bookmaking adjustment.
In fairness to the NFL, it is literally impossible to keep everyone happy when it comes to schedules — every team is going to have a beef about something. But San Francisco being put in the same unenviable Week 1/Week 2 situation in consecutive seasons seems particularly unfair.
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“Putting together a 256-game schedule is the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle and the schedule makers do a remarkable job,” NFL senior VP of public relations Brian McCarthy said in an email to Omnisport. “We attempt to accommodate club requests and conflicts with putting together a fair and equitable schedule. A road game after a home MNF game does often occur. It worked out that it happened to the 49ers this way recently. Over the course of the years, we are comfortable with how the schedule turns out.”
In the 49ers’ case, though, “comfortable” is not an accurate characterization.