The San Francisco 49ers are one of the last three remaining teams in the NFL that are undefeated. They will look to continue on that trail this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are 1-2 after a big win against the Dallas Cowboys. While the 3-0 49ers are favorites to win the game, there are still a couple of key matchups to watch for this weekend.
San Francisco 49ers Defense Vs. Mobile QB
The 49ers did well keeping the Giants’ quarterback, Daniel Jones, contained last weekend. When he dropped back to pass, he did not have much time to do so. When looking back at the game, Jones scrambled less than was expected. This week, the 49ers’ defense will have to face Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While there may be no guarantee in sports, it is highly likely that Dobbs will scramble. How the 49ers’ defense handles it is the question.
This season, Dobbs has rushed the ball for 93 yards and one touchdown, according to ESPN. The 49ers will have to limit this, and when he does run, if he slides, the defense will need to avoid an unnecessary roughness call. With Jones not running as much as expected, San Francisco has not faced a quarterback who can run like this yet this season. Penalties, in general, need to go down this week, and late hits are something that could hurt the team.
The other thing to look for is that Dobbs does try to take on players instead of sliding. He is a physical player, but 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson said, “Every quarterback is a running back until he sees Greenlaw and Fred out there.” It will be interesting to watch the defense stop Dobbs. The San Francisco 49ers’ defense is a strong unit, and hopefully, their history of struggling against a mobile quarterback is over.
49ers LBs Fred Warner (54) and Dre Greenlaw (57) – Cooper Neill/Getty Images
49ers Red Zone Offense Vs. Cardinals Defense
The San Francisco 49ers had to go for the field goal numerous times against the New York Giants. They made all three field goals in the game, but the team needs to make it count when they are near the endzone. This is not to say the 49ers were doing badly last weekend, but this offense can definitely do better than they did. Last weekend, the Dallas Cowboys struggled to do it against the Cardinals, and the 49ers will need to make it count this weekend. This is something the 49ers can do, especially with a strong run game, but it needs to be better than last week.
49ers Run Through Cardinals Defense
At the heart of this San Francisco 49ers offense is their run game. Running back Christian McCaffrey is the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and should have a big game this weekend. What worked well last weekend is that the team was able to rotate Elijah Mitchell in, giving McCaffrey time to breathe. This should be expected to happen again this weekend, which also means Mitchell can finally gain some momentum this year.
The Cardinals’ first three opponents have averaged 134.7 rushing yards per game, according to ESPN. The 49ers have averaged 162.7 rushing yards per game, according to ESPN. If the team can get their momentum going early, by running the ball, it will open up the offense when they need to pass the ball.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (23) – Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Brock Purdy Stepping Up
Purdy was under a ton of pressure for the majority of their game against the Giants. He did well handling it, but it was difficult for him to get settled. New York sent around six players after him as often as they could, which limited him to throwing quick passes to the outside. It is yet to be seen how many times the Cardinals will put pressure on him, but it is bound to happen. There is a chance that the team will be missing Deebo Samuel, but they should have Brandon Aiyuk back. There could be some big plays this coming week with Aiyuk’s route-running ability.
Whether it was on Purdy or the offensive line, there were a couple of miscues with the snap. Purdy is on the stat sheet for fumbling the ball. While he has done well diving onto the ball when that does happen, it may end poorly for the 49ers next time. The team is doing well, not turning over the ball, and it’s those silly mistakes they will need to be careful of.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (13) – Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
This will be another home game for the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals will be the second NFC West opponent that the 49ers face this season. Not only will a win keep them 4-0 in general, it will give them a 2-0 record against the NFC West. The 49ers need to be sure not to underestimate the Cardinals after what they did last weekend. As long as San Francisco plays to their strengths, they should be just fine.
