The 49ers visit the undefeated Cardinals in a Week 5 NFC West showdown, and these three stats are certainly going to be an issue for San Francisco.
Right now, the San Francisco 49ers are the worst team in the NFC West. At least in terms of record and standings, 2-2 and having lost the tiebreaker with the Seattle Seahawks during that Week 4 loss.
Meanwhile, in something of a surprise a quarter of the way through the 2021 season, the Arizona Cardinals sit atop the division and remain the only undefeated team left in the NFL.
Few probably predicted that outcome. But here we are.
The Niners enter this road contest at their temporary 2020 home, State Farm Stadium in Arizona, as 5.5-point underdogs, according to WynnBET. Yet with some of the odd developments seen over the course of the season already, perhaps Week 5 is when San Francisco finally pulls off a statement win and over a team now towards the very top of nearly every NFL power rankings out there.
It won’t be easy, though.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is playing at an MVP-like level, while the 49ers’ own offense has been inconsistent and riddled with injuries. It’s not yet clear which quarterback the Niners will start either, Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance, as Jimmy G is dealing with a calf injury suffered in Week 4.
That uncertainty, however, is only one part of the challenges head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. will face this weekend as they look to put a stop to what’s turned into a two-game losing streak.
These three stats could end up being problematic when San Francisco faces off against Arizona.
No. 3: 49ers will have tough times defending NFL’s No. 1 offense
It’s been popular and usually correct to bet against Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as a quality play-caller. At least up until 2021.
And while there are plenty of games left this season, enough room for him to endure yet another late-season collapse, the early trends for this year have suggested his Air-Raid approach is finally starting to pan out.
Through four weeks, Arizona doesn’t just boast the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense with 140 points scored (an average of 35 points per game) but also is No. 1 in total yardage gained (1,762 — 440.5 yards per game).
Granted, two of the Cardinals’ opponents so far this season, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, aren’t exactly boasting prolific defenses. But the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams have stout enough defenses to suggest the 49ers could be in for some serious challenges.
As far as inconsistency goes, the Niners defense has been there. Week 1 saw that fourth-quarter near-collapse against the Detroit Lions before a nice rebound effort in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Week 3 saw quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers regularly pick apart the defense, while the second half against the Seahawks in Week 4 didn’t exactly generate promising results.
All told, San Francisco enters this bout with the 22nd-ranked scoring defense (102 points allowed) yet only 1,347 yards surrendered, which is 10th best.
Something is going to give, and one can only hope it’s not the 49ers defense.
No. 2: Cardinals have 6 pass-catchers with at least 100 receiving yards
A year ago, particularly in the Niners’ Week 1 home loss to the Cardinals, All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was easily the top threat to worry about, and he delivered with 14 receptions and 151 yards in that game.
But one of the things that’s made Arizona’s offense so much more prolific this season has been Murray’s ability to spread the ball around.
A lot.
Read More: What 49ers loss to Seahawks says about NFC West
Through four weeks, six Cardinals pass-catchers have registered at least 100 receiving yards on the season:
- RB Chase Edmonds: 20 receptions, 140 yards, 0 touchdowns
- WR DeAndre Hopkins: 17 receptions, 225 yards, 3 touchdowns
- WR Christian Kirk: 16 receptions, 244 yards, 2 touchdowns
- WR Rondale Moore: 16 receptions, 211 yards, 1 touchdown
- WR A.J. Green: 15 receptions, 248 yards, 2 touchdowns
- TE Maxx Williams: 15 receptions, 179 yards, 1 touchdown
There’s no single receiver San Francisco can look to shut down without increasing the risk of someone else assuming the load. And considering the 49ers are already dealing with shortages in the secondary because of injury, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see at least two or three of these aforementioned Arizona weapons do damage in Week 5.
Especially considering the trouble Murray gives the Niners defense.
No. 1: An MVP-like Kyler Murray already gives 49ers problems
Mobile quarterbacks aren’t fun for any defense, especially San Francisco’s, and Kyler Murray has been notorious for making the 49ers’ crop of pass-rushers and linebackers look bad since he was selected No. 1 overall back in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Three years into his pro career, however, Murray is no longer the up-and-coming signal-caller. He’s playing at an MVP level, and the numbers show it.
Pick a quarterbacking category, and there’s a good chance he’s close to the top if not at No. 1:
- Completion percentage: 76.1 (1st)
- Passing yards: 1,273 (3rd)
- Passing touchdowns: 9 (5th)
- Pass yards per game: 318.3 (3rd)
- Passer rating: 115.0 (5th)
Murray has also scrambled for 109 yards and three touchdowns this season, too, so the Niners are likely to face contain issues again, much as they did in Week 2 against the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
Only Murray has a much better arm than Hurts, opening up Pandora’s box of problems for San Francisco’s defense.
True, mobile quarterbacks often open themselves up for more sacks, simply because they’re trying to keep plays along longer than non-mobile QBs would. But Murray’s eight sacks taken this year is more of a middle-of-the-pack number, suggesting getting pressure on him won’t necessarily be all the difference.
The 49ers and Cardinals kick off their Week 5 matchup on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 4:25 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.