How the San Francisco 49ers Can Survive Brutal NFL Schedule over Next 4 Weeks

On the ropes and reeling after consecutive losses, the San Francisco 49ers responded with a dominant 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams to keep their playoff hopes alive and shake off talk about a Super Bowl hangover. 

From the opening drive, the 49ers set the tone for Sunday's game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan mixed short throws and runs to go down the field for an early score.

San Francisco's offensive line faced some criticism in previous weeks, but the unit came together to open lanes for ball-carriers and neutralize defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The wideouts and tight ends blocked downfield, which allowed pass-catchers to rack up yards after receptions.

At 3-3, the 49ers still have a tough road ahead of them before they have a Week 11 bye. San Francisco will play three of its next four games on the road against teams with a combined record of 14-6. This stretch will show whether the 49ers measure up to playoff-caliber competition or if they're too flawed and injury-riddled for a return to the postseason.

Shanahan announced running back Raheem Mostert (high ankle sprain) and center Ben Garland (calf strain) will "most likely" go on injured reserve.

We'll break down and preview the 49ers' next four opponents with a look at how they can approach each game.

Week 7: San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots

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New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton

After a three-game home stretch, the San Francisco 49ers will go on the road Sunday to face the New England Patriots.

The Patriots and Rams are similar in that they defend the pass better than the run.

New England is tied for eighth in interceptions, which could lead to Garoppolo relying on short throws. Head coach Kyle Shanahan can test the Patriots' 17th-ranked run defense with the ground attack. Both ideas play into the 49ers' offensive strengths.

In Week 6, Garoppolo threw for 268 yards, but his pass-catchers racked up 226 of those yards after the catch; his attempts traveled an average of just 4.4 air yards, per Next Gen Stats. San Francisco's rushing offense ranks 10th leaguewide with 116-plus yards on the ground in five out of six contests.

Cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett can handle the Patriots wide receivers who've struggled to separate downfield. In New England's last outing, Damiere Byrd led the team's wideouts in receptions (three) and yards (38). 

Another key will be containing quarterback Cam Newton in the pocket. He's less dynamic throwing downfield than on the move. He's especially dangerous when improvising with his legs.  

Week 8: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf

Kyle Shanahan will need to exercise more creativity if he intends to run the ball on the Seattle Seahawks defensive unit, which ranks seventh against ground attacks.

The 49ers can take a page out of the Minnesota Vikings' Week 5 game plan, which yielded 201 rushing yards against the Seahawks. Alexander Mattison took over for Dalvin Cook (groin) in the second half and ran for 112 yards in total.

With Raheem Mostert likely headed to injured reserve, undrafted rookie running back JaMychal Hasty may handle an expanded workload. He showed some flashes against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, logging nine carries for 37 yards.

Hasty will likely split the workload with Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. to keep the ball moving on the ground. Shanahan could also design screens for wideouts Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has to find a way to fluster quarterback Russell Wilson, who's red-hot with a league-leading 19 touchdown passes through five games. ESPN Seattle's John Clayton outlined what worked for the Vikings in the first half of their Week 5 matchup with the Seahawks.

"The Vikings went into a Cover 2 scheme and had five other defenders between the defensive line and the safeties in coverage," Clayton wrote. "That took away Wilson's deep passing in the first half and forced him to throw more checkdowns and underneath routes." 

With this game plan, 49ers linebackers and safeties would have to clamp down on Seahawks tight ends Greg Olsen and Will Dissly in the middle of the field for a defensive masterpiece.

Week 9: San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

We don't see Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on edge a lot, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed to rattle him Sunday.  

In Week 6, the Packers looked similar to the team that crumbled against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship Game in January. Rodgers took a lot of hits and opted for shorter passes as opposed to throws downfield. The Buccaneers sacked him four times. Green Bay allowed a season-high 158 rushing yards. 

As a physical football team, the 49ers can test the Packers on the ground. That strategy worked for the Buccaneers in a 38-10 blowout win. Ronald Jones II ran all over Green Bay, racking up 113 rushing yards along with two touchdowns. Without Raheem Mostert, as a committee, JaMychal Hasty, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. can accomplish similar results.

With double coverage on Davante Adams, the 49ers would force another Packers offensive playmaker to beat them. Allen Lazard, the Packers' leader in receiving yards (254), underwent core-muscle surgery. He's on injured reserve. San Francisco can live with Rodgers taking deep shots to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has a 50 percent catch rate.

Week 10: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees handing off to running back Alvin Kamara

The San Francisco 49ers don't want another scoring shootout with the New Orleans Saints—similar to last year's 48-46 outcome. Between the lapses in pass protection and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's questionable decisions at times, the 49ers should prefer a slugfest rather than a track meet.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn't push the ball downfield. This season, he ranks last in average intended air yards per pass attempt (5.9). That's not a result of wideout Michael Thomas' absence. The 41-year-old signal-caller listed 32nd in 2019 as well (6.4). San Francisco's defenders can keep the action in front of them and limit explosive plays with solid tackling.

Kyle Shanahan shouldn't divert from the ground attack against the Saints' sixth-ranked run defense, but he needs to open up the offense a bit and exploit New Orleans' coverage issues on the back end. Tight end George Kittle could have a big day. Linebacker Demario Davis and safety Marcus Williams have allowed a combined seven touchdowns.