"The strangeness of the 2025 Niners is just getting started, but somewhere between a quarter and a third of the way through the season, this felt an appropriate time to review some of my preseason predictions. And while excuse me while I pat myself on the back I nailed a few of them, there are a few others that I wish I could have back. We deal in facts here, and the facts are forcing a few painful mea culpas."
"Look, not all the hay is in the barn, but a good deal of it is already there. The 49ers are 4-1. Since the NFL expanded to seven playoff teams per conference in 2020, only two teams that have started 4-1 or better have missed the dance: the 2020 Bears and the 2021 Chargers. Perhaps the 49ers can be the third, but that seems unlikely, no? The simple math says they're virtually in."
Early returns show the San Francisco 49ers at 4-1 in 2025, combining significant injuries with a string of close victories. The team’s start contrasts with 2024 as injuries persist but games finish as wins. Historical data since 2020 shows nearly all teams that begin 4-1 make the playoffs; only the 2020 Bears and 2021 Chargers missed. The 49ers have secured a .500-or-better division record with three NFC West wins and need roughly .500 play over the remaining 12 games to reach about 10 wins, a mark that should likely secure a postseason berth. Preseason predictions have proved partly correct and partly wrong, prompting acknowledgment of errors.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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