The San Francisco 49ers head to Arizona for a chance to sweep their division rivals on Sunday. Both the 49ers and the Cardinals are coming off blowout losses to the Rams and the Seahawks. Both teams will look to rebound on Sunday.
If the 49ers want to win this game, they must stick to the Keys to Victory.
Make the QB One-Dimensional
The 49ers' defense struggled to stop the run against the Rams and prevent Matthew Stafford from dissecting the defense. This week, they face a different type of quarterback in Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett isn't as efficient as Stafford, so if the 49ers defense can sell out to stop the run, this will force Brissett to be pass-heavy in the offense. The Cardinals rank 18th in rushing, averaging 113.4 yards per game. Expect running backs Emari Demercado, Zonovan "Bam" Knight, and Michael Carter to share the workload.
The 49ers' run defense will have its hands full in stopping the run this week. The good thing is they're not dealing with Kyren Williams. If the 49ers can stop the run and make Brissett one-dimensional, this could be an opportunity for the 49ers' pass defense, which ranks 21st in the NFL. Brissett has eight interceptions on the season, and he's only played in six games.
Make Brissett one-dimensional, win the game.
Bracket Trey McBride
If the Cardinals choose the pass, they will look to target their number one option, tight end Trey McBride. McBride leads the team in receiving, targets, receptions, and touchdowns.
The 49ers' defense must find a way to limit McBride's success against them. Since the Cardinals will be without their leading receivers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones, this could be a vast increase in the targets for McBride.
Limit McBride, win the game.
Run the Ball
The 49ers' run offense ranks 27th, averaging 94.8 yards per game. The Cardinals' run defense ranks 18th, allowing 114.1 yards per game. Even though the strength of the Cardinals' defense lies in stopping the run, the 49ers must stick to their game plan of running the ball.
Quarterback Brock Purdy is playing this Sunday, but don't expect a heavy-passing game from him in his first game back. The offense is going to generate lanes for running backs Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. to run. In the outside zone, the tight ends will have to sustain their blocks long enough for the running backs to break to the outside.
The 49ers need to get that magic number 40 for this offense to be successful. If they run the ball and sustain the run, the 49ers will be victorious.
The 49ers are in a must-win situation against a division rival. They control their road to the playoffs moving forward. It starts in Arizona. If the 49ers want to win, they must stick to the Keys to Victory.
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