The San Francisco 49ers will look to start 3-0 when they take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, giving them their second NFC West matchup in three weeks.
San Francisco has been on a roll to start the season, securing blowout wins over the Los Angeles Rams (27-7) and the Miami Dolphins (35-13) behind their offensive engine. They haven’t really been threatened in either game, dominating the second halves to get an early jump in the division race.
With how good the NFC West is, every division win counts,
placing an extra emphasis on this game. The Cardinals are coming off a 31-7 loss to the Drew Lock-led Seattle Seahawks after they upset the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 in Week 1.
It’s a game the 49ers are expected to win by more than a touchdown. Those odds have remained consistent throughout the week on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Will the 49ers take care of business? Here are three predictions for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.
49ers run game finally gets going
We’ve seen San Francisco’s passing attack get off to a hot start behind Brock Purdy, but the run game didn’t materialize in Week 2, when Christian McCaffrey had just 23 yards on 10 carries.
Kaelon Black continues to get in the mix. He had seven carries for 25 yards in Week 2 after 14 carries for 65 yards against the Rams. After a down week running the ball, this is a great opportunity for the 49ers to get going in the run game.
Their offensive line holds a clear advantage over the Cardinals’ defensive line. While Arizona has pieces like Walter Nolen and Josh Sweat, the Cardinals have been below average defending the run this season, and now face a top-10 offensive line with the 49ers.
Sure, Arizona could sell out against the run, but the 49ers’ passing attack has been making opponents pay. I think Arizona will look to limit explosives here, and the run game will finally get an opportunity to flourish.
It will be a heavy blitz day for Raheem Morris
Without Nick Bosa, the 49ers are going to have to generate pressure on Jacoby Brissett. Now, this is a unique spot for San Francisco’s defense. Brissett has proven to be a quality passer, but the Cardinals don’t run play-action much with his mobility, and he doesn’t look to scramble.
Now, with Brissett’s propensity to get the ball out, I’m not sure how many sacks the 49ers will get on Sunday. But I do think Raheem Morris will throw out a lot of different blitz packages to get to the quarterback, creating better late-down situations for the 49ers defense.
Arizona has not done well on third downs this year, ranking 22nd in conversion rate at 34.6 percent. I’m looking for Morris to tee off on Brissett, especially if the 49ers get up early.
49ers drop 27+ for a third straight week
The Niners have been humming as an offense through two weeks, and I don’t see that changing in Week 3. The offensive environment is all in place. They’ve got the advantage in the trenches, have a quarterback who’s playing his best football, and a quality set of skill-position players to throw the ball to.
San Francisco has shown it can create explosives and sustain long drives. After Seattle dropped 31 on them last week, I see the 49ers getting to at least the 27 points they’ve reached in their past two games.
That could lead to a third straight double-digit win.
