3 reasons why SF 49ers lose Week 1 bout to Cardinals

No. 3: Kyler Murray will continue to improve from his rookie year against the SF 49ers defense

In the offseason, 49ers general manager John Lynch traded arguably one of the team’s best defensive tackle in DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis. Yes, they traded some picks around to get a replacement in the NFL Draft, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, but it might not be enough right away.

The SF 49ers had troubles with mobile quarterbacks, which included Kyler Murray. In the two games against their divisional rivals, Murray rushed for 101 yards.  But he was able to use his scrambling abilities to move the pocket and create chances for his receivers.

Here’s a simple play action by Murray where you can see this problem unfold.

Now, there was a mistake by defensive end Ronald Blair, who was fooled by the play. But it goes to show you how quick Murray is. Once Blair realized who had the ball, Murray already had the corner track and was gone.

SF 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will have his hands full trying to contain the sophomore quarterback.