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Cardinals vs. 49ers: 5 San Francisco storylines to watch in Week 9

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 06: Andre Ellington #38 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 6, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 06: Andre Ellington #38 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on October 6, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 13: Corey Lemonier #96 of the San Francisco 49ers sacks Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals in the endzone at Candlestick Park on October 13, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 13: Corey Lemonier #96 of the San Francisco 49ers sacks Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals in the endzone at Candlestick Park on October 13, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

No. 1: What It Will Take for the 49ers to Get a First Win?

The 49ers lack the talent to overcome self-inflicted mistakes, which has been the case for most of the season.

Penalties have certainly been an issue, as the Niners are tied for second in the NFL with 64. No longer having Rashard Robinson in the mix could help this some, although the frustrating offensive ones could still be a problem.

Especially with a makeshift offensive line.

San Francisco committed 13 penalties for 113 yards the last time it faced off with Arizona. Considering the close 18-15 loss on the road, one could easily argue only a handful of those made a serious dent in the 49ers’ chances.

Getting the penalty number to five or below is key, but it’s not the only thing.

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Dropped passes have been an issue, and the 49ers still lead the league with 18. Nothing hinders a young quarterback’s development like the lack in confidence from a drop, so that’s something to monitor for San Francisco’s offense.

Overall, though, the biggest thing the Niners need to overcome is the ability to get adequate contributions from players filling in for injured starters. Remember defensive end Leger Douzable’s efforts in Week 7? Yeah, stuff like that.

Next: Cardinals vs. 49ers: 5 matchups to watch for San Francisco

Regardless, the 49ers have a serious chance to pick up their first win of 2017 at home against a scuffling and injured Cardinals squad. Winless teams never have it easy, and the Niners are no exception. But there’s a real chance San Francisco can at least be 1-8 after this week is done.