SANTA CLARA — Like to go bird watching? Desire more stress around the holidays? Willing to become a night owl?

Then the 49ers’ 2023 schedule is for you!

That’s right, it’s here, a 17-game parade route to the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Yep, off they’ll go, defending their NFC West crown, winning that third-time’s-a-charm NFC Championship Game, and, ultimately, preserving a Super Bowl lead for Lombardi Trophy No. 6.

How do birds factor into this? The 49ers will have to dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles from the NFC nest, while other regular-season bird hunts come against the Seattle Seahawks (twice), the Arizona Cardinals (twice) and the Baltimore Ravens (on Christmas night). Perhaps the Atlanta Falcons await in the playoffs.

Holidays? Yep, aside from their second-ever Christmas game (see: 1993 loss to the Houston Oilers), the 49ers will spend Thanksgiving dinner at the Seattle Seahawks’ house, and New Year’s Eve comes with an afternoon date at the Washington Commanders.

Night owl? The 49ers drew five prime-time kickoffs, unless the NFL’s flexes them into less (or, maybe more, to further crimp your New Year’s Eve plans).

A game-by-game analysis, each coming with a Degree of Difficulty on a scale of 1-17 (No. 1 being the toughest):

Week 1

At Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, Sept. 10 (10 a.m., FOX)

Since 1980, both the 49ers and the Steelers have earned 24 playoff berths, one shy of the Patriots’ lead. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett will be a marked man for Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year who’ll likely become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback by August. Degree of difficulty: 6

Week 2

At Los Angeles Rams

Sunday, Sept. 17 (1:05 p.m., FOX)

Christian McCaffrey makes his encore appearance after last year’s touchown hat trick – rushing, receiving, passing – keyed a 31-14 rout and sparked a 12-game win streak. This is the Rams’ home opener — meaning it’s time for another 49ers takeover in red jerseys. The 49ers have not lost a regular-season game to the Rams since they were in St. Louis (correction: since 2018). Degree of difficulty: 7

Week 3

Vs. New York Giants

Thursday, Sept. 21 (5:15 p.m. Prime Video)

Five days after Levi’s Stadium hosts an Ed Sheeran concert, a quick turnaround is demanded to get the (new?) sod ready for the 49ers’ home opener. This coast-to-coast rivalry is tied at 21-21, including a 4-4 mark in the playoffs. Kyle Shanahan’s first win as 49ers’ coach came in the Giants’ 2017 visit (after an 0-9 start). These Giants play seven of their first 11 on the road, and this trip follows a Week 2 roadie to Arizona. Degree of difficulty: 9

Week 4

Vs. Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, Oct. 1 (1:25 p.m., FOX)

Kyler Murray tore his right knee’s ACL on Dec. 12. Will he be healthy enough to elude a rabid defense led by new coordinator Steve Wilks, the Cardinals’ 2018 head coach? Degree of difficulty: 17

Week 5

Vs. Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, Oct. 8 (5:20 p.m., NBC)

Last visit to Levi’s, they were tied at 9 entering the fourth quarter of January’s divisional playoff loss. This is the first prime-time meeting hosted by the 49ers since 1983 (a 42-17 win). The Cowboys will visit the Chargers after this in a California-trip doubleheader. Degree of difficulty: 4

Week 6

At Cleveland Browns

Sunday, Oct. 15 (10 a.m., FOX)

The Browns will be coming off their bye, after opening with 3-of-4 at home. Kyle Shanahan returns to Cleveland for the first time since serving as the Browns’ 2014 offensive coordinator. Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo used to take the train as a kid from his Youngstown hometown to watch Jim Brown and, well the Browns. Degree of difficulty: 14

Week 7

At Minnesota Vikings

Monday, Oct. 23 (5:15 p.m., ESPN)

The 49ers have lost their last six visits to Minnesota, dating back to the 1994 regular-finale season, which the Niners rebounded from to win their last Lombardi Trophy a month later. The Vikings are 7-5 in prime-time games since U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016. Degree of difficulty: 5

Week 8

Vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, Oct. 29 (1:25 p.m., CBS)

These teams are bound for a third Super Bowl meeting, right? It’s been ages since the 1981 and ’88 Niners narrowly won those Lombardi Trophy battles. Brandon Aiyuk’s overtime touchdown catch won their December 2021 meeting in Cincy. The Bengals will be coming off their bye for only their second appearance at Levi’s Stadium; they won in 2015. Degree of difficulty: 2

Week 9

Bye

Week 10

At Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, Nov. 12 (10 a.m., FOX)

Both teams are coming off bye weeks, and the 49ers are 3-3 under Shanahan after byes. The 49ers won 30-10 in their last visit to Jacksonville, in November 2021. The Jaguars have not had a winning record entering Week 10 since 2017. Degree of difficulty: 11

Week 11

Vs. Tampa Bay Bucs

Sunday, Nov. 19 (1:05 p.m., FOX)

The 49ers are 13-3 at home against the Bucs, including last season’s 35-7 rude sendoff of Tom Brady (two interceptions) in Brock Purdy’s starting debut. Will Brady’s successor be Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask this season, and could that change by Week 11? Degree of difficulty: 14

Week 12

At Seattle Seahawks

Thursday, Nov. 23 (5:20 p.m., NBC)

Food fight! Can the 49ers get their Thanksgiving dinner revenge for losing at home in the 2014 Turkey Bowl? Reminder: Geno Smith won NFL Comeback Player of the Year award (over McCaffrey) but couldn’t bring the Seahawks back in three losses to the 49ers last season. Degree of difficulty: 3

Week 13

At Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday, Dec. 3 (1:25 p.m., FOX)

It’s a delicious rematch of the NFC Championship Game, which went the Eagles’ way 31-7 following Brock Purdy’s elbow-ligament tear on the 49ers’ first possession. The 49ers won their previous visit, in Week 2 of the 2021 season (17-11). Could this trip flex into the Sunday night spot in place of the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs vs. the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers? Degree of difficulty: 1

Week 14

Vs. Seattle Seahawks

Sunday, Dec. 10 (1:05 p.m., FOX)

Last visit to Levi’s, they led 17-16 at halftime of January’s wild-card playoff loss. This quick rematch is reminiscent of 2018, when the Seahawks held serve at home (Dec. 2) and then the 49ers did the same (Dec. 16). Degree of difficulty: 8

Week 15

At Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, Dec. 17 (1:05 p.m., CBS)

The Cardinals are the fourth opponent coming off a bye before facing the Niners. New coach Jonathan Gannon lacks the defensive enforcers who walloped the visiting 49ers in the NFC title game when he was the Eagles’ coordinator. The 49ers won a December game at the Cardinals in 2020, when State Farm Stadium doubled as the 49ers’ hostel amid Santa Clara County’s COVID ban on football. Degree of difficulty: 16

Week 16

Vs. Baltimore Ravens

Monday, Dec. 25 (5:15 p.m., ABC)

Ho, ho, whoa — it’s Lamar Jackson, who was in MVP form when he beat the 49ers in December 2019. Can you believe 10 seasons have passed since these teams met in the Super Bowl? “It’s kind of funny, growing up, (the 49ers) and the Ravens were the best teams I was watching when I was little,” 49ers rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell said Thursday. Degree of difficulty: 10

Week 17

At Washington Commanders

Sunday, Dec. 31 (10 a.m., FOX)

For auld acquaintance be forgot  … Shanahan dedicates this tune to outgoing Washington owner Daniel Snyder. The last time the 49ers played there, their 2019 Super Bowl-bound crew was doing belly slides to celebrate a 9-0 victory in the “Mud Bowl Championship.” Degree of difficulty: 13

Week 18

Vs. Los Angeles Rams

Saturday/Sunday Jan. 6/7 (time/TV TBD)

The 49ers could be trying to sweep the season series against the Rams for a fifth straight season, which hasn’t happened since 1994-98. This is the fourth time in seven years these teams meet in their regular-season finale. Degree of difficulty: 12

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