The 49ers’ preseason projections don’t take into account the Super Bowl afterglow. Their roster is too good and experienced to ever bask in it. USA TODAY’s Nate Davis predicts San Francisco will definitely avoid the Super Bowl afterglow, but the season will still be another disappointment.
Davis’ 49ers finished with an impressive 13-4 record and were the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
That in itself would be considered a huge success, considering the hurdles they had to overcome as Super Bowl runners-up the previous season.
Unfortunately, in Davis’ prediction, not only will they not win the title, they won’t even make it back.
Coach Davis will lead the Packers (the No. 2 seed) as the NFC representative against the New York Jets, who will lose on the NFL’s biggest stage. To advance to the Super Bowl, the Packers will defeat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium.
That’s really shocking.
Not only would it be another NFC title loss, but it would be especially tough coming against the Packers (a team the 49ers have beaten five straight times in the playoffs), and it might also raise some tough questions about San Francisco’s ceiling now that they’re trailing them in the NFC with teams like Green Bay catching up to them.
Overall, another NFC Championship appearance for the 49ers would be considered a success, but looking back at the past six seasons, it would be hard to view this 2024 season as anything other than a failure.