SF 49ers: 3 keys to a Week 1 victory vs. Cardinals
By Robert Smith
SF 49ers Key No. 3: Trent Williams’ matchup with Chandler Jones
After a year away from football, left tackle Trent Williams will be looking to return to the form that made him a seven-time Pro Bowler over the course of his nine-year career with Washington.
In his first game back, Williams will be matched up against the Arizona Cardinals’ Chandler Jones, who has recorded five straight seasons of 11 or more sacks and 96 total over the course of his first eight seasons. Even as prolific a pass-rusher as Jones is, the Cardinals struggled to get to the quarterback last season, finishing 18th in the league with 40 sacks.
With that said, Williams knows just how tough it can be going against Jones, telling NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, “It’s kind of frustrating because he’s a rusher with it all, so no matter how much you study him there’s still that X-factor that he can get you with. That’s what makes him so good.”
The Cards added defender Devon Kennard from the Detroit Lions in the offseason to draw attention away from Jones, as well as an interior presence in former Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
The two combined for 16.5 sacks last year.
And while Jones may be moved around the line at times and be matched up against 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the Williams-versus-Jones battle should be a good barometer of whether the 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can have success passing the ball effectively. If Jones gets loose for sacks or is able to create enough pressure to draw double-teams, it may be a long day for the 49ers offense.
If Williams is able to hold him at bay, Garoppolo may be able to pick apart the Cardinals secondary much as he did last season in two Niner victories against the Cards, when he completed 76 percent of his passes for 741 yards with eight touchdowns against just two interceptions.