Charvarius Ward, the savvy veteran cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, showcased his skills with an impressive performance against the Arizona Cardinals, hauling in two crucial interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown in the 49ers' 45-29 victory.
Ward, referred to as "Mooney" by his teammates, has amassed four interceptions this season, positioning himself for his best-ever Pro Football Focus grade (currently at 83.2). Opposing quarterbacks own a passer rating of 60.7 when targeting Ward. His stellar 90.8 overall grade against the Cardinals marked a career-high, as did his exceptional 91.6 coverage grade.
Despite facing 10 penalties (four of which were offset or declined) in his first eight games this season, Ward has managed to avoid any flags in the last five. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is grateful his 49ers were able to sign him away from the Kansas City Chiefs last year, a move that quickly paid off for the Bay Area team.
"He was a problem in Kansas City, and he's been great for us here," Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area. "But I think he's playing the best he's played in his career right now. Even earlier in the year, when he had those issues—not the issues, but got all those penalties, I remember having to call him into my office one time because I just wanted him to know that I didn't think it was that bad."
Shanahan acknowledged that Ward was "picked on a little bit" by opponents, leading to the penalties. However, he emphasized the importance of maintaining an aggressive mentality while refining certain aspects of his play.
"And if you got to start covering guys where you can't touch them, that's a huge problem," Shanahan continued. "So most of his weren't that bad. He had a couple that were, but I didn't want him to stop doing what he was doing. He just couldn't tug and do the extra stuff. But we still want him to keep smothering guys, staying on them, and he's been great at that all year, and he took it to the next level last week by getting his hands on that ball and catching a couple."
Ward and the 49ers defense will have their hands full on Christmas night as the team will host the Baltimore Ravens in a showdown between the AFC and NFC leaders. The cornerback's standout season continues to garner praise from his coaches and teammates, reflecting on the player's growth and impact on the 49ers' defensive success.
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