The 49ers knew the identities and locations of each of their 17 2023 regular-season opponents at the end of the 2022 season.
Now, they know when those games will take place.
Here are early previews of each of the 49ers’ games and our knee-jerk predictions for the upcoming season:
Week 1
Sunday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. PT (FOX) at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers grabbed the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers waited until the 262nd and final pick to get their quarterback.
San Francisco’s Brock Purdy was the consensus All-Rookie quarterback and a finalist for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Kenny Pickett showed some promise as a rookie but has a long way to go.
San Francisco 49ers
Purdy still has a long way to go in order to be cleared to play this early in the season. The question: If not Purdy, who? Trey Lance? Sam Darnold?
Prediction: 49ers 24, Steelers 14
Week 2
Sunday, Sept. 17, 1:05 p.m. PT (FOX) at Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are less than two seasons removed from a Super Bowl title. Yet, you can feel the apathy from their fan base when the 49ers come rolling into SoFi Stadium and their ample fan base turns it into Levi’s South.
Still, this early in the season and with the 49ers’ quarterback situation unsettled, the Rams could pull the upset.
Prediction: Rams 24, 49ers 21
Week 3
Thursday, Sept. 21, 5:15 p.m. PT (Prime) vs. New York Giants
After two consecutive road games, the NFL did a nice favor for those with tickets on the sunny side of Levi’s Stadium with a home-opening night game. The Giants made Daniel Jones one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league during the offseason. But how far can he take them?
It will be a struggle to finish within the top-two of the NFC East against Philadelphia and Dallas. And they might not have the firepower to go toe-to-toe against the 49ers. Also, this game does not set up well for a team that must travel cross-country on a short week.
Prediction: 49ers 27, Giants 13
Week 4
Sunday, Oct. 1, 1:25 p.m. PT (FOX) vs. Arizona Cardinals
It could be a long season for the Cardinals with a weak roster and quarterback Kyler Murray coming back from a torn ACL. The newbies in charge — coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort — face stiff challenges to make this team competitive.
If the season goes as expected, the Cardinals could be in position a year from now make a break from Murray and draft the next hotshot quarterback.
Prediction: 49ers 35, Cardinals 9
Week 5
Sunday, Oct. 8, 5:20 p.m. PT (NBC) vs. Dallas Cowboys
The 49ers and Cowboys got together for the second postseason in a row. And the 49ers, again, came away with a hard-fought victory.
Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and Co. will enter Levi’s Stadium for what should be a can’t-miss heavyweight matchup in the first Sunday Night Football matchup between these teams since 1990.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, 49ers 24
Week 6
Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. PT (FOX) at Cleveland Browns
The last time the 49ers visited Cleveland was in December 2015. Kyle Shanahan was on the other sideline as offensive coordinator, pulling the strings on, perhaps, Johnny Manziel’s best NFL performance.
The Browns won that day, 24-10, all but sealing the end of the Jim Tomsula “era” with the 49ers. Shanahan will remain on the winning side of this head-to-head matchup.
Prediction: 49ers 27, Browns 17
Week 7
Monday, Oct. 23, 5:15 p.m. PT (ESPN) at Minnesota Vikings
It’s fun to think about how things would have been different if the Jimmy Garoppolo trade never happened and the 49ers ended up signing Kirk Cousins in 2017. By the way, Cousins contract is scheduled to expire after this season, but he will be 36 years when the 2024 season opens. It should be safe to say that ship has sailed.
Minneapolis is a difficult place to play, and the place should be electric for Monday Night Football.
Prediction: Vikings 27, 49ers 21
Week 8
Sunday, Oct. 29, 1:25 p.m. PT (CBS) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
With the new 17-game schedule, the 49ers and Bengals find themselves going against each other for the second time in three seasons.
The 49ers’ defense might not face any bigger challenge this season than going up against star quarterback Joe Burrow and 1,000-yard receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Prediction: 49ers 31, Bengals 28
Week 9
Bye
Week 10
Sunday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. PT (FOX) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the real deal. The Jacksonville Jaguars might be ahead of schedule after winning a postseason game and hanging tough against Kansas City in the divisional round last season.
This game was a candidate to be played in London, but the NFL probably did not want what could be a marquee matchup starting at 6:30 a.m. PT.
Prediction: Jaguars 24, 49ers 21
Week 11
Sunday, Nov. 19, 1:05 p.m. PT (FOX) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It was one of the marquee games on the 49ers’ schedule last season when Tom Brady came to town. There will not be nearly the intrigue around this game with Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask or John Wolford — or whomever is the Bucs’ quarterback when this game rolls around.
Prediction: 49ers 35, Buccaneers 10
Week 12
Thursday, Nov. 23, 5:20 p.m. PT (NBC) at Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers will have a chance to eat turkey on the 50-yard line, but it certainly will not be easy. The 49ers do not win often in the Pacific Northwest. But when they do, it’s memorable. In the past 11 seasons, the 49ers have won only two times in Seattle.
One was in the final week of the 2019 season, which gained the 49ers with the NFC West championship and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Last season, the 49ers clinched the division title with a 21-13 victory on Dec. 15.
Prediction: 49ers 28, Seahawks 17
Week 13
Sunday, Dec. 3, 1:25 p.m. PT (FOX) at Philadelphia Eagles
The odds are very good that the 49ers will have an NFL-caliber quarterback for most of this game — unlike the NFC Championship Game. How would the 49ers have done last season with a healthy Brock Purdy? We will never know.
But the result of this game could provide everyone with a big what-if. These powerhouses have strong rosters returning. The most significant changes are defensive tackle Javon Hargrave leaving Philadelphia and signing with the 49ers as a free agent.
Prediction: Eagles 17, 49ers 14
Week 14
Sunday, Dec. 10, 1:05 p.m. PT (FOX) vs. Seattle Seahawks
These teams square off for the second time in three weeks. The 49ers will be looking for their third victory over the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in the past two seasons. The 49ers made easy work of Seattle with a 41-23 victory in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
After losing three times to the 49ers last season, the Seahawks have reason to believe they can make a run at the defending division champs.
Prediction: 49ers 31, Seahawks 13
Week 15
Sunday, Dec. 17, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) at Arizona Cardinals
The last time the 49ers played “at” the Cardinals, the game was a festive occasion in Mexico City. The atmosphere will not be nearly as electric this year, but you can expect a strong showing from 49ers fans, nonetheless.
Prediction: 49ers 38, Cardinals 13
Week 16
Monday, Dec. 25, 5:15 p.m. PT (ABC) vs. Baltimore Ravens
The 49ers will play on Christmas Day for only the second time in franchise history, and they will be going up against the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback.
Did the 49ers have internal discussions about the possibility of acquiring Lamar Jackson? Sure. But it was never going to work. Jackson remains in Baltimore after a few tumultuous months, and now he has set high goals.
Jackson said he wants to throw for 6,000 yards this season. That means to stay on pace, he must have at least 353 yards against the 49ers’ defense. Don’t expect him to receive any gifts from the 49ers’ defense.
Prediction: 49ers 31, Ravens 24
Week 17
Sunday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. PT (FOX) at Washington Commanders
It could be a struggle for the Commanders with Sam Howell taking over at quarterback with Jacoby Brissett as his safety net. It is difficult to envision Washington being able to get enough going offensively to be able to hang with the 49ers for too long.
Prediction: 49ers 35, Commanders 17
Week 18
Saturday, Jan. 6, or Sunday, Jan. 7 vs. Los Angeles Rams
A year ago, the Rams were the consensus pick to win the NFC West. As it turned out, they were entering a new phase. They finished 5-12. They still have some firepower, but it is difficult to imagine the organization reversing course from last season. The 49ers will be playing for playoff seeding.
Prediction: 49ers 35, Rams 7
RELATED: Shanahan expects Purdy to be at training camp
49ers' 2023 record prediction: 12-5