The San Francisco 49ers are working on their fourth head coach in the last four seasons and the once stable franchise that employed two coaches during an 18-year run the 1980s and 90s is looking to calm things down. The good news is that each of the previous three coaches won their season opening game. The bad news is that they went a combined 12-33 over the remaining 45 games. The Niners look to continue their season-opening trend against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 4:25 p.m. ET. This duel from Levi’s Stadium will be televised on FOX.
NFL Week 1 Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Carolina Panthers -3.5
San Francisco 49ers +3.5
Over/Under 48
Ron Rivera vs. Kyle Shanahan
The two will renew acquaintances for the first time as head coaches on opening day, but their history dates back several years when both were coordinators around the league. The past two seasons their teams squared off as NFC South opponents when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons.
Rivera is a former linebacker in the league and he began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator first with the Bears then with the Chargers before taking the head gig in Carolina in 2011. In his first game against a Shanahan offense as coach of the Panthers, Rivera’s club won 33-20 in 2011. In fact, Rivera won his first four matchups against Shanahan’s offense, beating the Skins again in 2012, Cleveland in 2014 and the first meeting with the Falcons in 2015.
Shanahan and the Falcons turned the tables after that, winning the last three meetings, including a 20-13 victory in 2015 that ended the Panthers’ run at perfection. Shanahan’s offense produced 81 points in two meetings last season, but he won’t have Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman carrying the load in this one.
Christian McCaffrey vs. Solomon Thomas
Former Stanford Cardinal teammates who competed on the Levi’s Stadium turf during their collegiate careers will tangle as opponents in Week 1. McCaffrey was a Heisman Trophy finalist and the top all-purpose back last season while Thomas anchored a stout defensive front for the Cardinal.
Both players will play a significant amount of snaps for their respective teams and each answers a pressing need. Thomas was taken with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft and is expected to shore up a defensive front that was one of the worst in football last season. The Niners were last in the NFL in total yards, rushing yards and points allowed per game.
McCaffrey will spell Jonathan Stewart in the backfield but will also be used in a variety of roles in a new Panthers’ offensive scheme that has inserted special packages to take advantage of McCaffrey’s skill set. Rivera and offensive coordinator Mike Shula will utilize McCaffrey to take some pressure off Cam Newton, who is returning from offseason shoulder surgery.
Cam Newton vs. His Shoulder
All eyes will be on the 2015 MVP as he looks to rebound from offseason shoulder surgery. Newton took a beating last season behind an offensive line that was ravaged by injuries and ineffective play. As a result, the Panthers went from being the highest scoring team in the NFL two years ago to 15th last season.
Carolina added some beef up front and some playmakers at the skill positions so Newton won’t have to carry the entire load. He tried that last year and things didn’t work out so well. Cam remains a dynamic player, but the team will be better off if he makes smarter decisions with the football.
Newton made his preseason debut in Week 3 and he handed the ball off to Stewart and McCaffrey and made a few simple outlet passes. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but that’s the way Rivera wants his quarterback to play. Don’t take any unnecessary chances and risk injury. He should be able to do that against a Niners defense that should be improved, but still leaky.
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