Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Leftover schedule thoughts: 49ers lessen travel load in 2018

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers joined the rest of the league in receiving their 2018 schedule on Thursday night, and as is always the case, making projections this far out is pretty close to impossible. Some teams that are expected to contend will fall by the wayside and others that are expected to be bad will turn into contenders.

We've already offered some initial thoughts on the Niners' schedule and even some way-too-early game-by-game predictions. But here are some leftover thoughts on the Niners' slate:

  • Largely because of geography, the 49ers traditionally travel farther than most teams. That's not the case this year. While the Niners will still rack up their share of miles, they won't rank in the top four in miles traveled this season. The Oakland Raiders (31,716 miles), Los Angeles Chargers (30,797), Seattle Seahawks (29,088) and Jacksonville Jaguars (20,359) will spend the most time in the air in 2018. Of course, the 49ers don't have a trip to London this season -- the four teams above do -- and they really benefit from a lack of coast-to-coast trips. The Niners' trip to Tampa Bay for a Nov. 25 game spans 4,720 miles round trip, but is the only time the Niners visit the East Coast this season. For what it's worth, the Carolina Panthers will only travel 6,945 miles this season, the fewest in the NFL.

  • The 49ers were one of three teams that lobbied the NFL to make a rule in which West Coast teams would have no more than three 10 a.m. PT starts in a single season. That rule didn't pass, but the Niners still only have three such games (at Minnesota, at Kansas City and at Tampa Bay), in part because they only travel to the East Coast once.

  • Although that Tampa trip will be somewhat daunting, it comes at a good time in the schedule. After traveling to Arizona for an Oct. 28 game, that trip to Tampa is the only time the Niners leave the West Coast in the final eight games. Five of those games are at home, with the other two coming at Los Angeles and at Seattle. The Niners also get a gift in terms of time off in November. They play on Thursday, Nov. 1 against the Raiders, but then they benefit from time off before playing the Giants on Monday, Nov. 12. They follow that with a bye week. So, San Francisco plays just one game from Nov. 2 to Nov. 24. If the Niners are in postseason contention at that point, all that down time could be huge in terms of getting healthy and rested for a stretch run.

  • The Niners' five prime-time games in 2018 are a bit stunning considering they are coming off a 6-10 season. Even with so much hype and the buzz around quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, five is the maximum amount of prime-time games a team can be assigned before the season. (Additional games in prime time are possible with flex scheduling late in the season). This year, 10 teams -- the Patriots, Saints, Packers, Steelers, Cowboys, Chiefs, 49ers, Rams, Eagles and Seahawks -- got five prime-time games. Of that group, only the Niners had a losing record in 2017. The Bengals, Bills, Buccaneers, Colts, Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins and Chargers have the fewest prime-time games, with one each.

  • While cornerback Richard Sherman’s chance to play the Seattle Seahawks twice in 2018 received plenty of attention, it's not the only reunion game on the Niners' schedule this year. In fact, nearly every major 49ers free-agent signing will face his former team in 2018. Running back Jerick McKinnon goes back to Minnesota in Week 1, center Weston Richburg meets the Giants on Nov. 12 and linebacker Korey Toomer and pass-rusher Jerry Attaochu will face the Chargers on Sept. 30. Guard Jonathan Cooper will see the Cowboys in the first week of the preseason and will face the Cardinals, the team that drafted him, twice during the regular season. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan will have a reunion of sorts as well as he will face Jon Gruden and the Raiders. Gruden gave Shanahan his first NFL coaching job as an assistant on his Tampa Bay staff in 2004.

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