Niners' 2009 regular-season schedule

The NFL announced the regular-season schedule today. Here’s a quickie look at the 49ers’ scheule for the coming season.

2009 49ers regular-season schedule

All times Pacific

Sunday, Sept. 13, At Arizona, 1:15 p.m. (Fox)

The last time the 49ers played the Cardinals here, they had a last-minute communication meltdown that prevented Mike Singletary from recording his first victory. Maybe new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye can fare better if the game comes down to a few critical late-game decisions.

Sunday, Sept. 20, SEAHAWKS at Candlestick, 1:05 p.m. (Fox)

Former 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora opened his head-coaching career with the Falcons at Candlestick Park in 2004. He returns as the coach of the division-rival Seahawks.

Sunday, Sept. 27, At Minnesota, 10 a.m. (Fox)

The Vikings are solid quarterback play away from being a serious contender in the NFC. The last time the Vikings played the 49ers, Patrick Willis and Co. held Adrian Peterson to just 3 yards on 14 carries. Hard to believe, isn’t it?

Sunday, Oct. 4, RAMS at Candlestick, 1:15 p.m. (Fox)

New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo inherits one of the worst rosters in the NFL. He made his mark as Giants defensive coordinator, making the identity of this team dramatically different than what’s it’s been for more than a decade.

Sunday, Oct. 11, FALCONS at Candlestick, 1:05 p.m. (Fox)

Atlanta, the surprise NFC team of the 2008 regular season, will not be sneaking up on anybody this season. Quarterback Matt Ryan benefitted from a strong rushing attack last season. He’ll be asked to carry a lot more of the load.

Sunday, Oct. 18, BYE WEEK

Sunday, Oct. 25, At Houston, 10 a.m. (Fox)

The last time the 49ers visited Houston – and the only time I’ve covered a game there in 16 years as a beat reporter – was against the Oilers. Steve Young got knocked out of the game at the Astrodome with a head-to-head shot. Jeff Brohm entered and “led” the 49ers to a 10-9 victory. Looking forward to my first trip to Reliant Stadium.

Sunday, Nov. 1, At Indianapolis, 10 a.m. (Fox)

It’s back-to-back 10 a.m. starts for the 49ers. As I recall, the last time the 49ers visited the Colts (a 40-21 SF victory), it produced one of the great postgame moments ever: Jim Mora’s “Playoffs?” sound bite. All I’m wishing for is a safe walk to the downtown dome.

Sunday, Nov. 8, TITANS at Candlestick, 1:15 p.m. (CBS)

New Niners receiver Brandon Jones, who was never a No. 1 in Tennessee, is the highest-paid wideout on the 49ers. He’ll be expected to begin producing like a No. 1. Obviously, he has this game circled on his calendar.

Thursday, Nov. 12, BEARS at Candlestick, 5:20 p.m. (NFL Network)

Chicago comes to town with its new quarterback, Jay Cutler. All indications are that the 49ers were interested in Cutler, but they weren’t that interested in him. The Bears paid the huge price necessary to land him in a trade from Denver. (Mike in SF#2 points out the compelling angle of Mike Singletary coaching for the first time against the team for which he played his entire Hall-of-Fame career.)

Sunday, Nov. 22, At Green Bay, 10 a.m. (Fox)

If there’s one road trip to make in the NFL, this is the one. The 49ers haven’t played at Lambeau Field since 2003. The organization will get its first regular-season look at Aaron Rodgers. Will Alex Smith be starting for the road team?

Sunday, Nov. 29, JAGUARS at Candlestick, 1:05 p.m. (CBS)

Jacksonville owns the No. 8 pick in the draft. Will they take the player the 49ers wanted? Here’s a scheduling oddity: The Jaguars have been in the league since 1995. This is their first visit to San Francisco for a regular-season game. The 49ers have never defeated the Jaguars, losing 41-3 in 1999 and 10-9 in 2005 in Jacksonville.

Sunday, Dec. 6, At Seattle, 1:15 p.m. (Fox)

The 49ers return to the site of Alex Smith’s greatest NFL moment – his inspiring fourth-quarter performance in a 24-14 upset over the division-winning Seahawks late in the 2006 season.

Monday, Dec. 14, CARDINALS at Candlestick, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

The defending NFC champion Cardinals – man, that was weird to type – come to town. There’s no way the 49ers will be sending a private jet for Kurt Warner to make this trip to the Bay Area. This is the third time in three years the 49ers have played the Cardinals on Monday Night Football

Sunday, Dec. 20, At Philadelphia, 10 a.m. (Fox)

The 49ers and Eagles finished in the same spot in their respective divisions, creating this NFC West vs. NFC East matchup. I’m already looking forward to my traditional run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, just like Rocky Balboa.

Sunday, Dec. 27, LIONS at Candlestick, 1:05 p.m. (Fox)

Detroit is searching for an answer at quarterback. Will Matthew Stafford be the choice with the No. 1 overall pick? Former 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson returns to Candlestick in a Lions jersey after the Seahawks dealt him in the offseason. Niners defensive coordinator Greg Manusky will be matching wits against new Lions offensive coordinator Scot Linehan, who turned down the 49ers’ job offer.

Sunday, Jan. 3, At St. Louis, 10 a.m. (Fox)

Niners receiver Isaac Bruce decided to return to fulfill the second and final year of his contract with the 49ers. He did a nice job with the 49ers last season and won the Len Eshmont Award. But in St. Louis, he is an icon. This could be his final game in front of his adoring fans.

Note: The final eight weeks of the season are subject to scheduling changes to allow NBC to televise the most compelling games on Sunday nights.

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Coach Mike Singletary

“This is a good schedule with tough opponents. When I look at our schedule, I am excited that our fans get a chance to see how we stack up against our division rivals within the first five weeks of the season. I’m also thankful that our players will have an understanding of the kind of team we have heading into the week six bye. We are all excited about being able to play in front of national audiences on primetime television twice in 2009. Between now and the start of the regular season, we have a lot of hard work to put in and that’s what we are concentrating on now.”

General manager Scot McCloughan

“Every year when the schedule is released it’s an exciting time for our players, coaches, the organization as a whole, and our fans. From a competitive standpoint, we get to see early on how we measure up in our division. With our bye coming when it does our players will be able to rest their bodies at a critical time. Having two primetime games on national television provides us the opportunity to showcase the ‘Mike Singletary’ brand of 49ers football that we plan to play.”

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Here is the 49ers’ exhibition schedule (all games televised locally on CBS-5):

Friday, Aug. 14, vs. Denver, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22, vs. Oakland, TBA

Saturday, Aug. 29, at Dallas, 5 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 4, at San Diego, 7 p.m.

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