The San Francisco 49ers are widely considered Super Bowl favorites in 2013 after coming up just short in SB XLVII. But can they meet such lofty expectations?

Let’s begin by reviewing their captivating 2012 campaign before moving into a full preview of their upcoming season.

Quick 2012 Review

San Francisco followed quite the curious pattern last year. From start to finish, it won two and lost one in five consecutive three-game patterns throughout the season (we qualify its Week 10 tie against St. Louis as a loss).

The 49ers controlled the offensive juggernaut Packers and Lions on their way to a 2-0 record, followed by a loss to the Vikings in a game in which they thoroughly underestimated their opponent.

They then dominated the Jets and Bills by a combined score of 79-3. They set a franchise record against Buffalo by producing a 300-yard passer (Alex Smith), 100-yard rusher (Frank Gore) and two 100-yard receivers (Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis). The 49ers also set an NFL record with both 300 yards passing and 300 yards rushing.

But as the season would continually dictate, they laid a complete egg and lost to the New York Giants at home by 23 points the following week.

The most notable—and positive—highlights were those produced by a dominant defense for the first 14 weeks, and those created by Colin Kaepernick after taking over for an injured Smith in Week 10.

In particular, Aldon Smith set a second-best franchise total with five sacks against the Chicago Bears. Kaepernick, in the same game, shocked the world on Monday Night Football by putting on a pocket-passing clinic in his first NFL start.

Kaepernick led the 49ers to a 5-2 mark down the stretch with prolific passing and rushing performances. Such production continued in record-setting fashion throughout a playoff run (see: Divisional Playoffs against Green Bay) that fell a mere five yards short of the team’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.

The 49ers asserted themselves last season in ways not seen since the franchise’s glory days. Expect them to do so again in 2013.

Schedule Analysis

If anyone is in the business of déjà vu, the 49ers’ 2013 schedule is happy to oblige.

San Francisco hosts what Green Bay did last year, as the 49ers square it off with the Packers once again in Week 1. Following this battle between NFL powerhouses, the 49ers will lock horns with division rival and other Super Bowl favorite Seattle Seahawks in the unfriendly confines of CenturyLink Field.

The schedule doesn’t easier after that—the 49ers host the Colts, travel to St. Louis and return home for a matchup with AFC South division winner Houston Texans. It’s a three-game stretch that could easily result in an either 0-3 or 3-0 record.

A subsequent manageable four-game set against the Cardinals, Titans, Jaguars and Panthers is followed by yet another brutal stretch against the Saints, Redskins, Rams and Seahawks. Finishing things off with road game in Week 17 against a with-something-to-prove Cardinals qualifies this as the NFL’s ninth toughest strength of schedule in 2013.

Offensive Outlook

When it concerns the NFC West, rival teams make a habit of fostering mirror images of each other.

The 49ers, like the Seahawks, realize their potency with a power running game, dominant defense and a quarterback that changes the very modus operandi of the NFL.

Frank Gore—and all 30 years of him—Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James form one of the league’s most dynamic tri-headed rushing attacks behind the undisputed best offensive line in the business.

Gore is the back that takes pride in always finding holes that most other rushers can’t find in the trenches. Hunter is the consummate change-of-pace guy that would have qualified as the most productive No. 2 RB if not for a torn Achilles last season. And James facilitates the read-option formation with his utility on all areas of the gridiron.

Kaepernick will compensate for the loss of Michael Crabtree with continued progression in his second season as the starting quarterback. His accuracy on touch passes will improve as a complement to his deep-ball prowess. If the need ever arises due to a subpar receiving corps, Kaepernick will attack defenses more with his legs, and will do so as effectively as he did in 2012.

New No. 1 wideout Anquan Boldin isn’t the same type of explosive receiver as Crabtree, but will pick up the majority of the slack via his sure hands, catching radius, toughness and big-game experience. Kyle Williams is continually underrated and will surprise the league with quality No. 2 WR production. Mario Manningham will pick things up quickly even if he does indeed miss the first six games, while A.J. Jenkins will make huge strides after a lost rookie campaign.

Additionally, Ricardo Lockette’s physical abilities and off-the-field work with Kaepernick will make him a viable threat in the deep passing game. Vernon Davis and second-round draftee Vance McDonald will form a very productive tight end duo as well. Davis could very well lead the 49ers in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

The 49ers will be a formidable offensive force in 2013—questions in the receiving corps or not.

Defensive Outlook

What plagued the 49ers late in 2012 and into the playoffs will not show its ugly face again in 2013.

San Francisco’s pass rush became non-existent, which then compounded a pass defense that lost itself in the postseason at the worse time possible. These unfortunate developments will not materialize this season.

General manager Trent Baalke and head coach Jim Harbaugh infused dynamic—and very much necessary—front-seven players through the draft. Tank Carradine will sub in perfectly behind Justin Smith, while outside linebacker Corey Lemonier will do the same coming off the bench for Aldon Smith. The “Smith brothers” return to full health will foster production that fans came to appreciate for much of last year.

This unit’s play against opponents’ rushing attacks will be just as dominant. Ian Williams and newly acquired Glenn Dorsey will clog up the middle of the field. All-Pro linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, in addition to Ahmad Brooks and the aforementioned stalwarts, will shut things down as they generally do.

The 49ers also return all starting cornerbacks and replaced free safety Dashon Goldson with first-round pick Eric Reid out of LSU. There may be a bit of a drop off at that position, but the depth with Craig Dahl and second-year man Trenton Robinson should alleviate any concerns. Corners Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver will raise their respective games to new heights, with the latter erasing his painful memories of Super Bowl XLVII.

The major questions center around the play of Carlos Rogers and Donte Whitner. Can Rogers hang with the bevy of speedy slot wideouts in the NFC West? And can Whitner show that his 12 touchdowns allowed in coverage last season (playoffs included) were an aberration? If the strong safety can match Willis and Bowman’s play versus tight ends underneath and contribute more so in deep coverage, the 49ers shouldn’t face many issues.

Finally, one wild card worth consideration is free-agent pickup Nnamdi Asomugha. If his on-field work resembles his time with the Oakland Raiders and not the Philadelphia Eagles, then the 49ers will have a true cover corner coming off the bench in 2013.

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