Cardinals vs. SF 49ers: 5 battles to watch in 2020 season opener
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Battle No. 4: Trent Williams vs. Chandler Jones
The Niners had their own coup-like trade during the offseason, landing perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams from the Washington Football Team in exchange for two mid-round NFL Draft picks.
And after spending weeks in training camp going up against EDGE Nick Bosa, Williams will be tasked with protecting Jimmy Garoppolo’s blindside in a meaningful contest, frequently finding himself matched up against one of the league’s best outside pass-rushers, EDGE Chandler Jones.
Jones finished 2019 as the NFL’s second-best sack specialist, recording a career-best 19 quarterback takedowns en route to his second first-team All-Pro nomination. And while Arizona’s defense isn’t exactly star-studded with complementary pass-rushers, Jones’ presence and prowess on the field can’t be overstated.
Especially considering he took down Garoppolo twice last year. Well, three times if you include a would-be sack at a grocery store:
https://twitter.com/chanjones55/status/1189290203258720259
The Cardinals will likely shift Jones over to the strong side of the formation a lot on Sunday, putting him up against right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who is nowhere near the same kind of pass protector Williams is.
Still, this kind of battle between Williams and Jones is the precise one fans will want to see in what could be an epic one-on-one matchup.