49ers vs. Colts: Keys for a San Francisco win in Week 5

Niner Noise looks at the biggest keys for the San Francisco 49ers to win their first game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts.

The San Francisco 49ers are still searching for their first win this season, and they get a great opportunity to get it against a struggling Indianapolis Colts team without starting quarterback Andrew Luck.

Here’s how they can get that first win.

No. 1: Contain Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett, a former third-round pick by the New England Patriots, is a threat to be reckoned with. However, his arm doesn’t pose the biggest problem — it’s his legs that will give the 49ers trouble on Sunday.

Brissett does occasionally throw beautiful touch passes to his receivers and possesses some great raw arm talent. However, Brissett is still in his second year in the league and, like any other young quarterback, he will need some time to fully develop his skills to become a great player.

However, what doesn’t need polishing is his legs. If Brissett sees an open lane for him to run through, he’ll take it without hesitation. And once he starts scrambling, the big man is hard to stop. Brissett has an awkward running style and isn’t particularly fast, but the quarterback is larger than average and is built similar to a big bruising running back.

Brissett is a physical player and can truck defenders at will. He is also deceptively elusive despite his subpar speed, and has the ability to constantly make defenders miss.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will have to employ a game plan to contain Brissett because he is the Colts X-factor in the game. With all respect to running back Frank Gore, the Colts run game has been a mess for a while, due to Indianapolis’ offensive line’s inability to run block, and it will remain the same this Sunday.

I cannot imagine a scenario where Gore will run all over his former team because Niners defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Earl Mitchell possess too much power for the undermanned Colts offensive line.

San Francisco 49ers

What does matter for the 49ers are the edge defenders. Over the course of the first four games, the 49ers have utilized a plethora of different packages for the defense, mixing up the edge defenders. On some plays it would be defensive ends Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead manning the outside, and on others it would be outside linebackers Aaron Lynch and Elvis Dumervil or Dekoda Watson and Eli Harold playing outside contain.

I think that this game is Thomas’ opportunity to have his breakout game. Thomas is undoubtedly the fastest edge defender on the Niners’ defensive unit, and when Brissett will try to scramble on Thomas’ side, the rookie defensive end should be able to outrun Brissett and take him down.

Thomas could have a field day in Indianapolis, so Saleh should keep him in the game to effectively contain the opposing quarterback.

If Thomas and the rest of the edge defenders that Saleh puts out on the field do their job effectively to contain Brissett from scrambling, the Colts will be shut down the entire game.

No 2: Brian Hoyer needs to channel his inner Week 3 level of play

Last week at the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Brian Hoyer looked like a third-string high school quarterback.

I’m not even exaggerating here.

He was the sole reason the 49ers lost the game, constantly misfiring on on corner and out routes, with the football always ending up out of bounds five yards from the intended receiver. He was also staring down receivers for the entirety of the game and took two sacks in the red zone to limit scoring opportunities for his team.

However, I simply can’t take away his performance from Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. After throwing an early interception, Hoyer threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns. He looked sharp and accurate while poised in the pocket. It was a truly impressive showing for Hoyer, and that Hoyer needs to show up at Indianapolis for the 49ers to win.

No. 3: Attack Indianapolis cornerback Quincy Wilson with Marquise Goodwin

Starting Colts cornerback Rashaan Melvin has been a standout this season, with two interceptions and seven pass breakups so far. However, he was limited in practice on Wednesday and seemed to have suffered a setback on Thursday, not practicing with his team.

This leaves the Colts secondary with Quincy Wilson, a rookie cornerback selected in the second round of the NFL Draft. Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, Wilson is pretty big for a defensive back and plays with toughness, something you always want from a cornerback.

However, he is still a rookie and doesn’t have great speed. With Pierre Garcon likely to face Colts No. 1 cornerback Vontae Davis, Marquise Goodwin will be on Wilson, which should please Goodwin.

Goodwin’s Olympian speed will allow him to get open when Wilson plays man coverage on him. Kyle Shanahan should exploit this matchup by calling many deep shots for Goodwin.

Next: 49ers vs. Colts: 5 key storylines for San Francisco

Just one big play can change the game, and I’m betting that a deep shot to Goodwin, exposing Wilson, could potentially win this game for the 49ers.