49ers Aim for 3-0 Start Sunday Against Cardinals
The short version
- The 49ers face the Cardinals Sunday looking to improve to 3-0.
- 3-0 teams have made the playoffs 73.3% of the time over the past 10 years, with a 20% chance at the Super Bowl.
- 2-1 teams reached the Divisional Round slightly more often, but 3-0 clubs made the conference title game 31.1% of the time versus 17.3%.
- The Seahawks, also unbeaten, play Washington, expected to start Marcus Mariota at quarterback.
- San Francisco and Seattle could both be undefeated when they meet in Week 5.
A win in Week 3 would place San Francisco in a group that historically reaches the playoffs 73.3% of the time.
The San Francisco 49ers put their undefeated record on the line this Sunday when they face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. According to a 10-year study, franchises that open a season 3-0 have gone on to qualify for the postseason 73.3% of the time, with a 44.4% chance of capturing their division and a 20% shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
Teams that stumble to 2-1 are not necessarily worse off early in the playoffs. Over the decade examined, squads at 2-1 actually reached the Divisional Round more often than 3-0 clubs, by four percentage points, and their division odds fell only about five percent. The gap widens deeper in January, however: 3-0 teams made the conference championship 31.1% of the time versus 17.3% for teams sitting at 2-1.
A 2-0 team that loses in Week 2 has still reached the playoffs at nearly a 62% rate across the past 10 years. Just 45 clubs have opened 3-0 during that span, and three of the previous 10 Super Bowl winners were in that group. The 2018 New England Patriots stand as the lone champion of the last decade to begin 1-2, while five of the most recent six titles went to teams that started 2-1, the 3-0 Los Angeles Rams of 2021 being the exception.
The Seattle Seahawks, also 2-0, visit the Washington Commanders this week in a game Washington is expected to start Marcus Mariota at quarterback. Should both NFC West rivals keep winning, the 49ers and Seahawks could arrive at their Week 5 meeting without a loss between them.
