Cardinals vs. SF 49ers: 3 X-factors to determine if Niners start 1-0
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers’ George Kittle vs. Cardinals’ Isaiah Simmons
SF 49ers fans won’t soon forget tight end George Kittle bowling over Cardinals safety Budda Baker on Oct. 31 last year for a decisive touchdown; the play being even more remarkable because Kittle was dealing with serious ribs and ankle injuries suffered during the game.
But in case you forgot or want to relive it, here you go:
Baker will still be a force for Arizona’s defense, yet the Cardinals elected to go with former Clemson safety Isaiah Simmons in Round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft for the almost-sole purpose of putting him on Kittle.
While this will be a fun bout to watch for years to come, the early advantage should go in Kittle’s favor, right? After all, the same aspects forcing a pandemic-related abbreviation to all teams’ offseason programs have hindered more than a good chunk of first-year players’ developments.
And Simmons won’t be an exception, particularly right out of the gate in Week 1 with nothing but his college experience and training camp to use as experience.
If Kittle has another great game, it’s a good sign the Niners are going to be well on their way to starting off the season 1-0.