Five 49ers players to watch vs. Cardinals in season opener
The Arizona Cardinals proved to be a difficult matchup for the 49ers last season.
The 49ers finished 13-3, won the NFC West and plowed through the NFC side of the bracket and into the Super Bowl. But in two games against the Cardinals (5-10-1), the 49ers narrowly escaped with victories.
The Cardinals could be a vastly improved team this season, looking to accomplish a turnaround like the 49ers pulled off in 2019.
This game will not be an easy task for the 49ers. Here are five players who will have to step up in order for Kyle Shanahan’s team to open the season with a victory in front of no fans Sunday at Levi’s Stadium:
Few quarterbacks around the NFL seem to be as polarizing as Garoppolo. Is he elite? Is he average? Is he holding the 49ers back?
In his first full season as a starter, Garoppolo put together a very good season and the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl. Garoppolo could have been in position for Super Bowl MVP. Then, the fourth quarter happened.
Everyone around the 49ers is expecting Garoppolo’s production to increase this season with another year of experience and understanding within Shanahan’s system. But it will be difficult for him to improve on what he did last year against the Arizona Cardinals.
In two games against Arizona, Garoppolo threw for 741 yards and eight touchdowns with a passer rating of 125.1.
“He played as good as anybody played against us all year in both games," Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "I’m a big fan of his. I think he’s a special talent.”
Every stop along the way as an offensive coordinator, Shanahan found a way to get his running backs in space to be key components of the passing game. That is what he had in mind when he pinpointed McKinnon on the first day of free agency in 2018.
But McKinnon did not step onto the field in his first two seasons with the 49ers due to an ACL tear and an unsuccessful surgery. Now, McKinnon is fully healthy. He gives the 49ers’ offense the element of a third-down back to be featured along with Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman.
McKinnon’s presence should create conflicts for Vance Joseph’s defense on Sunday. Then, it’s up to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to merely pick out the biggest mismatch.
Bosa, half-jokingly, said his goal for the season is to not set any goals.
It makes sense because Bosa’s value to the 49ers cannot be measured by sacks or, perhaps, any other statistics. Bosa figures to get a lot of attention from the Cardinals’ offense. Left tackle D.J. Humphries likely will get a lot of help along the way.
Bosa will win his share of snaps. Then, he has to find a way to set his radar on Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray and drop him. Murray was sacked 48 times last season, so the 49ers will get their shots.
If the Cardinals place too much focus on slowing down Bosa, it could also open one-on-one opportunities on the other side for Dee Ford against Kelvin Beachum. Either way, Bosa will have a major impact on this game.
There is no easing back into the picture for Williams, who is set to make his 49ers debut. Williams takes over the position Joe Staley held so capably with the 49ers for more than a decade.
Williams, a seven-time Pro Bowl player, did not look like a player in training camp who sat out all of last season. His combination of size, strength, agility, smarts and passion are undeniable.
You want to know what else is undeniable? The challenge he faces in Week 1.
Williams will be matched for a large portion of the game against Arizona edge rusher Chandler Jones, who has 49 sacks over the past three seasons. Williams must handle Jones if Garoppolo is going to get comfortable in the pocket.
Sherman, the NFL’s active leader with 35 interceptions, is coming off a Pro Bowl season. But at this stage of his career, there will be questions every season about whether he is slowing down.
This game provides Sherman with a huge challenge from the time he steps on the field.
The Cardinals added DeAndre Hopkins, one of the top wideouts in the game, to pair along with Larry Fitzgerald. If Sherman remains solely on the defense’s left side, as he has mostly done in the past, the Cardinals can dictate the matchups.
Sherman enters his contract year. He said he would love to finish his career with the 49ers. But that decision is likely to take place after evaluating his full body of work for the 2020 season.
