The San Francisco 49ers schedule is one of the more unique ones in the league. They start on a back to back road trip, have a week four bye, and are one of the few teams to host three straight home games. Looking through the 49ers’ schedule, I found these three games as the toughest challenges they will face in 2019.

Week 3 l vs. Pittsburgh Steelers l Sunday, September 22nd

The 49ers home opener will be their first real test of the 2019 season. While a back to back road trip to start the year will be a test in its own right, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals are not on the same level as the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The most significant moves the 49ers made during the offseason involved upgrading the pass rush. New acquisitions Dee Ford, Nick Bosa and 49ers mainstay DeForest Buckner will be put to the test early against one of the better offensive lines in the league. The Steelers return all five starters to a unit that has finished 4th, 1st and 4th the past three seasons in Football Outsiders adjusted sack rate metric.

The secondary will receive a bit of a break in not having to face All-Pro Antonio Brown. That said, third-year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is poised for a breakout and will give the unit all they can handle. Former 49ers tight end Vance McDonald will keep Jaquiski Tartt’s hands full, while the front seven will have to find a way to slow down the duo of James Conner and Jaylen Samuels.

While the Buccaneers and Bengals defenses can only be improved upon from last year, they will not pose anything close to the challenge the Steelers will for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The offensive line will be tasked with keeping Garoppolo upright against the first ranked defensive line in terms of Football Outsiders adjusted sack rate.

For all the challenges the 49ers offense will face, the Steelers defense will also be tested by the bevy of running backs San Francisco has to offer. Rookie Linebacker Devin Bush will have a hell of a time making calls against one of (if not the) best play callers in the game in Kyle Shanahan. It will be fascinating to see how the rookie responds to that type of challenge in just his third game as a professional.

This shapes up to be one of the more exciting matchups in the early part of the NFL season. How San Francisco performs against the Steelers will be an early indicator for where they stand concerning the rest of the league.

Week 9 l at Arizona Cardinals l Thursday, October 31st

The true test that lies in this game is the scheduling dynamic. The 49ers got pretty screwed with a week four bye this year. They get to travel to Arizona on a short week following matchups against the Washington Redskins (away) and Carolina Panthers (home). While Washington may not have much in the way of offense, I expect them to be one of the more physical teams in 2019, while Carolina has been known for that kind of play for several years now. There’s no telling where the 49ers will be health wise after this set of games. To top it off, after the Arizona game, the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football. They could be in lookahead mode to that game.

The Cardinals project to be one of the worst teams in the league, but I am a bit higher on them than that. Arizona has always been a tough place for visiting teams to play well in, and I don’t expect that to change in this contest. They get the luxury of chasing around Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense, on a short week, after two tough battles with two physical teams. Murray’s mobility figures to give the 49ers all they can handle.

This has “trap game” written all over it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 49ers are looking ahead to the eleven days of rest they get after this contest, as well as hosting the Seahawks on Monday night. This game will be the most underrated challenge of the San Francisco 49ers schedule. A win or a loss would not surprise me here, as it is a tight spot to be in.

Week 14 l at New Orleans Saints l Sunday, December 8th

Assuming the 49ers have had the season, they aspire to have up until this point; this will be a crucial game in the NFC playoff standings. Games in the Super Dome are never easy, especially when there are playoff implications on the line. The 49ers will travel there after a physical game against the Baltimore Ravens. Having spent two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Shanahan is no stranger to the Dome. The same can’t be said for the rest of the team, however. While his personal experience will help them prepare in some regard, there is no recreating the environment you face when you travel to New Orleans for an important game.

As far as X’s and O’s go, the Saints are one of the favorites to win the NFC for a reason. Their offensive line is one of the best units in the league and will be up to the task of taking on Buckner, Ford, and company. Kwon Alexander and the rest of the linebackers will have their hands full with Alvin Kamara, while the secondary will have to figure out a way to slow down Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith and Jared Cook. Drew Brees, of course, needs no introduction.

Buckner will be a genuine “X” factor, as the interior of the Saints line will be headlined by either rookie center Erik McCoy or replacement level veteran acquisition Nick Easton. Winning that battle inside could allow the 49ers to stall enough drives and give the offense a little room for error

Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley will have their hands full with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport. The noise won’t make things any easier for the tackle tandem. Even when Garoppolo is given enough time in the pocket, his receivers will be hard pressed creating space against the likes of Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple. George Kittle will be a critical factor in this game. If the 49ers want to have any shot at winning, Shanahan will have to get the ball to him in space.

At this point in their development, I don’t think this 49ers squad has what it takes to compete with the Saints in New Orleans. Then again, I could be dead wrong. Whether or not they are good this year, this projects to be the toughest test of the San Francisco 49ers 2019 schedule.

James Aguirre is a writer at PFN covering the San Francisco 49ers. You can follow him on Twitter @semaj0789