2024 NFL futures: How 49ers’ slow start impacts season outlook, according to the SportsLine Projection Model

The San Francisco 49ers have been a powerhouse in their conference of late, reaching the NFC Championship Game in each of the last three seasons and four of the past five. Considering their performance last year, when they pulled even with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos for second on the all-time list by making their eighth Super Bowl appearance, many experts had them playing for the conference title again in 2024.

Given the team’s roster, it was quite conceivable to think that those predictions would come to pass. Brock Purdy finished fifth in the NFL last season with 4,280 passing yards and third with 31 touchdown tosses, while Christian McCaffrey was the 2023 rushing leader with 1,459 yards and tied Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins for the league lead with 21 total touchdowns.

The 49ers’ offense also features dual threat Deebo Samuel, wideout Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. The latter two both eclipsed the 1,000-yards receiving mark last season, with Aiyuk setting a career high (1,342), while Samuel amassed 1,117 scrimmage yards (892 receiving, 225 rushing).

On the other side of the ball, San Francisco ranked third in the NFL against the run (89.7 yards allowed) and points permitted (17.5). It shared the league lead for most interceptions (22) with the Chicago Bears and was tied for seventh in sacks (48) thanks to a pass rush led by defensive end Nick Bosa (10.5) and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (seven).

The SportsLine Projection Model certainly had high hopes for the 49ers prior to the 2024 NFL season. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, had the team recording 11.7 victories while giving it a 78.9% chance to win its third consecutive NFC West title and 93.3% likelihood just to make the playoffs.

In addition, the model projected…


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Author : Scott Erskine

Publish date : 2024-09-25 13:53:10

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