2016 San Francisco 49ers Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

To say that the San Francisco 49ers have been a team in flux since reaching the postseason three straight times between 2011 and 2013 would be an understatement.

There was the unceremonious divorce with former head coach Jim Harbaugh after the disappointing 2014 season. There were the retirements of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Anthony Davis and Chris Borland that offseason, the departure of Frank Gore to the Indianapolis Colts in free agency and the release of Aldon Smith. There was the benching of quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2015 and the 5-11 disaster in Jim Tomsula's only season as head coach.

In 2016, however, hope is in the air. The team hired Chip Kelly as the new head coach, and he'll bring his high-tempo spread philosophy to the Bay Area. If there is a scheme that can perhaps revive Kaepernick's floundering career—if he's still a 49er, as rumors that he wanted the team to trade him dominated offseason headlines—it's probably Kelly's read-option attack.

And then there's Blaine Gabbert, who took over as the team's starter when Kaepernick was benched last season and will at least compete for a starting gig. While he's best-suited to being a backup and doesn't fit Kelly's system as well as Kaepernick potentially would, he's at least in the conversation at the position heading into the season.

Of course, the players surrounding Kaepernick—or Gabbert—are just as important as the scheme, and the Niners aren't loaded on offense. In a quiet offseason from a personnel standpoint, the biggest moves were the team letting Alex Boone sign with the Minnesota Vikings and signing veteran offensive lineman Zane Beadles.

San Francisco still lacks elite weapons, and it remains to be seen if Carlos Hyde will develop into a reliable feature back. It would appear the Niners will rebuild the offense through the 2016 draft, as they have 12 picks and the No. 7 selection overall. 

Surely, Kelly's offense will get a few more young playmakers come April.

This isn't a team that anyone will expect to compete for a postseason spot in 2016, especially in a tough division. But Kelly did make the postseason in his first season in Philadelphia, albeit with a more talented roster. If Kaepernick stays and thrives in Kelly's offense—and the team is able to find a few more playmakers on both sides of the ball in the draft—the Niners could surprise some folks this season.

Check out San Francisco's complete 2016 schedule below, accompanied by analysis for the upcoming year and a brief breakdown of some of the Panthers' most critical matchups.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 12	Rams	10:20 p.m.	ESPN
2	Sept. 18	at Panthers	1 p.m.	Fox
3	Sept. 25	at Seahawks	4:05 p.m.	Fox
4	Oct. 2	Cowboys	4:25 p.m.	Fox
5	Oct. 6	Cardinals	8:25 p.m.	CBS/NFL Network
6	Oct. 16	at Bills	1 p.m.	Fox
7	Oct. 23	Buccaneers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
8	Bye Week
9	Nov. 6	Saints	4:05 p.m.	Fox
10	Nov. 13	at Cardinals	4:25 p.m.	Fox
11	Nov. 20	Patriots	4:25 p.m.	CBS
12	Nov. 27	at Dolphins	1 p.m.	Fox
13	Dec. 4	at Bears	1 p.m.	Fox
14	Dec. 11	Jets	4:05 p.m.	CBS
15	Dec. 18	at Falcons	4:05 p.m.	Fox
16	Dec. 24	at Rams	4:25 p.m.	Fox
17	Jan. 1	Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	Fox

Analysis

Having six games against the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams is a rough start to the schedule for the Niners, especially after they went 1-5 in the division a season ago. 

Facing the AFC East and NFC South didn't leave the team with many easy matchups either. Facing quarterback Tom Brady's New England Patriots and the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints at home helps, though it's unlikely the Niners will be favored in any of those games.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys round out the home schedule, and both are tougher matchups than they appear. The Bucs are sure to be improved in Jameis Winston's second season as quarterback, while the Cowboys are a playoff contender so long as signal-caller Tony Romo stays healthy. 

Things don't get much easier on the road. The Carolina Panthers reached the Super Bowl last season, while the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills are both coming off of 8-8 seasons but have the talent to compete for playoff spots this year. The Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears won't be easy matchups, though of the team's road contests, those seem the most winnable. 

Teams that finish last in their division normally end up with easy schedules the following season. In 2016, however, the Niners will play a tough slate. According to CBSSports.com's John Breech, by combined winning percentage, San Francisco is tied with the Falcons for the hardest schedule in the league.

Pivotal Matchups

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

If the Niners are to show improvement under Kelly and battle for respectability in his first season as head coach, they'll have to do it against the weaker opponents on their schedule. In that regard, the two matchups against the Rams and games against the Dolphins, Saints, Bucs and Bears will likely define San Francisco's season.

None of these games are gimmes, of course:

• The Rams have a solid defense and a running back in Todd Gurley capable of dominating opposing defenses.
• The Dolphins underachieved in 2015, but they have a lot of talent on the roster and could bounce back this season.
• The Saints have Drew Brees, which is all that needs to be said for them.
• The Bucs have a promising young quarterback in Winston and offensive playmakers in receiver Mike Evans and running back Doug Martin.
• The Bears lost Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett this offseason, but QB Jay Cutler still has Alshon Jeffery and 2015 first-round pick Kevin White at wide receiver.

The 49ers won't be expected to go 6-0 in these contests. But if they don't manage at least four wins from this cluster of games, 2016 could be a long season in San Francisco. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.