San Francisco 49ers: 2012 Will Prove Last Season Was No Fluke

The 2012 NFL season already has fans on the edge of their seat, and training camp is still just a dot in the distance. The league released the schedule late Tuesday night, and you can bet that highlighters across the country are scratching away at the matchups they're anticipating the most.

A team that many will have circled on those schedules is the San Fransisco 49ers, who turned their 6-10 mark from 2010 under Mike Singletary into a 13-3 record with Jim Harbaugh. Their signature style of aggressiveness and hard-nosed defense got them all the way to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the New York Giants.

This year, the given NFL schedule won't allow them to be the hidden gem of the league for much longer. They'll play five games on national television, including two Monday night games, two Sunday night games and a Thursday night game on the NFL network.

Aside from that, they'll open up the season against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. They'll also have road games against the Sanchez/Tebow Jets, the Sean Payton-less New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.

The NFC Championship rematch will occur at Candlestick Park, where the Giants will return to San Francisco hungry to defend their Super Bowl title and the 49ers will have to step up to another challenge on their home turf.

Simply put, this schedule is no joke.

It's clear that the NFL wants to see more of the hard-hitting, tough style that Harbaugh has transitioned from Stanford to the NFL in only one season. With a young defense and the return of secondary stars Carlos Rogers and Dashon Goldson, it seems the sky is the limit for this team, so why not advertise it if you're the NFL?

On offense, the additions of veterans Randy Moss and Brandon Jacobs is big, and speedster Mario Manningham can only help Alex Smith mature as a down-the-field passer.

The question remains, however, can the 49ers live up to their hype created by a bevy of success in such a short time?

The City by the Bay is in for an exciting 2012. It's a great time to be a fan of the team. Defeating the caliber of teams they will encounter this season will not only solidify their resurgence as a power in the NFC, but also confirm that 2011 was no fluke.