The NFL did the 49ers no favors in terms of rest and travel for this year’s schedule
To the victor goes the spoils, that’s how the saying goes, right? Well, not exactly, as the 49ers impressive 12-5 record last season has now netted them an extremely difficult schedule for the 2023 season.
That should come as no surprise, as this is par for the course for teams that finish in first place in their respective divisions. What is abnormal about this year’s slate of games is the amount of rest that opponents will have compared to the 49ers prior to squaring off with them this season.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis compiled a chart that tracks the net rest that a team gets relative to the opponent they are about to face on the 2023 schedule. This tracks exactly how many days teams have between games and paints a much clearer picture of the teams who will have an advantage when it comes to being well rested during the gruesome long haul that is an NFL season.
we need to focus closely on rest disparity this yr since imbalance is at historic highs
which teams benefit most?
which are challenged most?
let’s dig in team-by-team
start by reading this for @NFLonFOX https://t.co/TVnV7w09bU
INTRODUCING: 2023 Net Rest Edges
bookmark! pic.twitter.com/pkEqRw4r0S
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 16, 2023
For example, facing off with a team who had played on Thursday Night Football the week prior would mean that they have an additional three days of rest, which would count as a -3 for the entire season tally. A team coming off the bye week facing a 49ers team that just played on the Sunday of the week before would count as a -7 for the tally, and so on and so forth.
The 49ers ranked dead last in the NFL in this net rest data, with a total of -20 for the entire season. That is not only the worst rest disparity in the league this season, it is also the worst disparity the 49ers have ever had in a season during the history of their franchise.
So, how exactly did the numbers stack up this way to put the 49ers at such a disadvantage when it comes to the rest they will be getting relative to their opponents?
The most glaring discrepancy comes against one of the tougher opponents on the schedule, when the 49ers square off with the Cincinnati Bengals at home in week 8. The Bengals will be coming into that game off a bye, while the 49ers will be coming off a short week following a Monday night game in Minnesota just a few days prior.
The 49ers also have three other games throughout the season where they will be playing a team coming off of a bye, with their Week 10 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars being the only one where both teams will have a week of rest prior to matching up.
There is also a pivotal Week 14 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks that could play a major role in how the NFC West hierarchy shakes out, and Seattle will be coming into that game with a rest advantage after playing on Thursday night the week prior.
Adding to the already brutal gauntlet that is December football, the 49ers also have a Monday night game vs what projects to be a tough Ravens squad before flying across country on a short week for a 10 a.m. pacific start against the Commanders in week 17.
The only teams who come close to matching this unfortunate tally of rest discrepancy are the Los Angeles Rams at -17, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who are at -13.
Every year in the NFL is tough, and that is especially true for teams coming off a first place finish in the previous season. However, these 2023 49ers are facing an even greater uphill battle with an unparalleled amount of rest discrepancy compared to the other teams in the league.