Seeing as I write this 49ers blog, I'm clearly a big time 49ers fan. I think of myself as a realistic optimist that thinks the team is definitely improving and taking the next of several steps. A playoff spot is possible, but at worst I just want to see some solid improvement in all facets of the game.
Enter Bill Williamson, a sports writer at MSNBC.com. I don't read a lot of msnbc.com, but after seeing Williamson's column from August 28, I might just have to start checking it out a little more often:
Powerful Pats will win Super Bowl -- over 49ers
So...ummm....alrighty then. Every year some reporter makes an outlandish prediction because he figured on the off chance it does come true, he looks like a genius. If it does not come true, well no skin off his back since people will usually forget it. Well, Bill, nice little prediction there. In Williamson's rundown of the playoff teams and results, he has the following to say related to the 49ers:
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Arizona
- St. Louis
NFC Playoffs
Seeds
- Dallas
- San Francisco
- New Orleans
- Chicago
- Seattle (wild card)
- Arizona (wild card)
Divisional round: Seattle over Dallas; San Francisco over New Orleans.
NFC championship game: San Francisco over Seattle.
Super Bowl
New England over San Francisco
Why? The Patriots are a big favorite and the 49ers are a big underdog. But underdogs strike it big all the time. Still, watch for the best roster in the business to end a San Francisco revival.
I will give him credit for some originality. I doubt ANYBODY else is seriously predicting the 49ers in the Super Bowl. I'd like to see it happen but I'm certainly not holding my breath in anticipation this year.
So I guess the question would be, what do you think the 49ers chances would be of even reaching the Super Bowl? I'll throw up a poll more out of curiosity than anything else with percentage chance of making it. I think this team has the talent to do it if just about every break went there way. Later this week, I'm planning on throwing out my best and worst case scenarios for the team, but for now let's consider this option under best case.