The 49ers could finish 1-15 for the first time in team history, though we still recommend they play the last two games just in case.

San Francisco plays in Los Angeles (still weird to write that) this week, then they finish their season at home against the Seahawks. Seattle could be playing for first round playoff bye, so it looks like the Rams game is the last winnable game on the 49ers’ schedule.

A win in LA (still weird) would put the 49ers at 2-14. The last time they finished with two wins was 2004. There are a couple interesting parallels between that year and this one.

For starters, the 49ers played the exact same teams for 15 of their 16 games. The only exception was in 2004 they played Washington instead of Dallas.

Along with that, both of San Francisco’s wins in 2004 came against the Arizona Cardinals (both 31-28 in overtime). If the 49ers do beat the Rams on Sunday, both of their wins will have come against the same team once again.

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Taking a look back at that 2004 team, it’s no wonder they finished with just two wins. The roster is at least as bad as the roster this year. But there are some quality players there, so we decided to see which players from 2004 could improve the 2016 team.

We’ll start on offense.

Eric Johnson, TE

While the 49ers have given nine years worth of extensions to tight ends Garrett Celek and Vance McDonald in the last 10 months, Johnson would be a huge improvement as a pass catcher for San Francisco.

Johnson managed to catch 82 balls for 825 yards and a pair of touchdowns despite bad quarterback play and a lack of other weapons. McDonald and Celek have combined for 48 catches, 693 yards and six touchdowns in 2016.

Brandon Lloyd, WR

Given the 2016 49ers’ lack of receiver talent, it seems logical to grab at least ONE receiver from the 2004 squad.

Lloyd fits the bill of the big play receiver the 49ers need. He hauled in 43 balls for 565 yards. He also accounted for six of the team’s 16 receiving touchdowns. A player like Lloyd might also allow the 49ers to scheme Torrey Smith open and allow him to become the big play threat he was in Baltimore.

For as bad as the 2016 offense is, the 2004 offense was worse. These two guys would be the only possible upgrades for the 2016 squad.

Surely there will be some 2004 defensive guys that could improve this abysmal 2016 defense.

Derek Smith, ILB

Derek Smith was a monster. During that 2004 season he racked up 80 tackles in 14 games with three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one of which went for a touchdown.

Smith would start alongside NaVorro Bowman, and allow the 2016 49ers other inside linebackers to be depth rather than starters. They become much more valuable at that point.

Julian Peterson, OLB

An Achilles injury kept Peterson out for most of the 2004 season, but he’d be a great fit on the 2016 defense.

As an outside linebacker, Peterson could not only rush the passer, but he was good getting sideline-to-sideline and could play coverage – something defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil asks his outside linebackers to do quite a bit.

Bryant Young, DT

Obviously.

Tony Parrish, S

As a team, the 2016 49ers have eight interceptions. Parrish had four by himself in 2004. He also defended eight passes, forced a fumble and tallied 59 tackles.

Parrish could slot in over Antoine Bethea and solidify a 49ers defense that has gotten gashed by big plays as the season has worn on.

The solemn bottom line to all of this is that no combination of players from either of these teams is going to make the playoffs.

Even the best of the best playing at their highest level probably only wins four or five games. After all, all the hypothesizing in the world can’t change the fact that these are two miserable football teams.

On the bright side, the 49ers used 2004 as a starting point to building the roster that eventually got them to three straight NFC Championship games. Given the parallels between 2004 and 2016 for the 49ers, fans can only hope that those parallels continue in the rebuilding process.