

With talent all across the board for this Arizona team, the 49ers need to limit the amount of penalties to give themselves a shot at winning this game.Īnother key staple for success in the NFL is converting 3rd downs. Last season, when the 49ers faced the Cardinals, DeAndre Hopkins had 151 yards off 14 receptions during Arizona's 24-20 win in the first of two matchups between the teams. Green, Christian Kirk, and Rondale Moore making up Arizona's explosive receiver corps, the 49ers' defensive backs have to be disciplined, as they were last week, in order to compete with this offense that leads the league, scoring 35 points per game. Against this high-paced Arizona offense, they cannot give back three extra opportunities for Kyler Murray and Co. That stat has attributed to their league-high 12.6 yards-per-penalty, which is just unacceptable and will be exploited should it continue Sunday against Arizona.Īnd the worst part of it all? The 49ers are giving up three first downs a game due to penalties, which is also the worst in the NFL. The 49ers have eight defensive pass interference penalties this season, which is the most of any team in the NFL, and have given up 153 yards on those eight penalties, which is a whopping 60 yards higher than any other team. The primary reason for this: defensive pass interferences. While the 49ers only average six penalties per game, which is 10th in the NFL, they give up an inexplicable 75.8 penalty yards per game, which is 3rd-to-last of all teams. So far, that's been the theme for the 49ers, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The 49ers have only averaged a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry on the season, which is 20th in the NFL, but with a healthier backfield, they must establish their run game if they want to have a chance at beating the undefeated Cardinals.

In addition, the lack of film of Lance as a runner will make it harder to schematically prepare for the rookie. Expect the 49ers to run the ball early and often to set the tone and develop their game pace, especially with a dual-threat quarterback starting in Lance.Īrizona has yet to face a mobile quarterback this season with the athleticism and build of Lance, providing them with a new challenge in Week 5, adding to an already-struggling run defense. On the season, San Francisco has run the ball on 44.62% of their plays, good for ninth in the NFL, which is more than Arizona is used to, as they've been rushed against on only 39.76% of their defensive plays. Mitchell, who rushed for 104 yards in his NFL debut, provides San Francisco with the ability to make explosive plays, like Raheem Mostert, and should see a significant amount of action should he be active on Sunday.īut, more importantly, Arizona currently ranks last in the NFL in yards per carry allowed at 5.4, and they have given up at least 85 yards to a rusher over the past three weeks, showing their inability to defend against the run. Well, this should be a key for the 49ers every week, given Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme, but establishing the run game is an absolute must against this Cardinals team.įor starters, the 49ers are getting back their top rookie on the running back depth chart in Elijah Mitchell to complement Trey Sermon, who started the past two games in Mitchell's absence. With Lance being the focal point of the offense, instead of Jimmy Garoppolo, let's look at the four keys in winning Sunday's game. They've gone a combined 3-14 during their starts, so Lance will be looking to change that narrative, although he faces a tough opponent in the Cardinals. Those quarterbacks haven't had much success yet.
#Receiver 12.6 for mac mac#
Lance will be the sixth quarterback to start a game in the 2021 quarterback class, as Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Davis Mills have all made their first career starts as well. The time has finally come: Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, will be making his first NFL start against the daunting Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in a division game that certainly should be a crucial one for both parties involved.
