Keys to victory: How 49ers defense can slow Cardinals’ offense

The 49ers defense has to be at its best Sunday against Arizona.

The Arizona Cardinals found some success against the vaunted 49ers defense the last time these clubs squared off.

That defense had a strong showing against the Seahawks on Monday night, and with so many injuries on offense, they’ll need another shut-down outing vs. the Cardinals on Sunday. Here are three keys for the 49ers to adjust to, and shut down Kliff Kingsbury’s spread attack:

1. Stop the run

Typically getting a pass-heavy team out of its element and running the ball is a decent strategy. That’s not the case for Kingsbury’s offense though. Arizona ran roughshod over the 49ers on Halloween without either of its top two running backs. Now top running back David Johnson will be back in the lineup, and San Francisco has to ensure Arizona isn’t getting ahead of the sticks with their run game. They become much more difficult to stop if they do.

2. No big plays

An 88-yard touchdown catch from rookie Andy Isabella was a key play in the last meeting between these clubs. The 49ers’ defense wasn’t having a particularly bad game until multiple missed tackles and bad angles allowed the speedy Isabella to score. San Francisco can’t allow another devastating big play like that.

3. Set the tempo

Arizona had a ton of success with an up tempo offense the last time these teams played. The 49ers can limit some of that by forcing incompletions, making sure tackles and not allowing Arizona to get into a rhythm. They’ll surely try it again Sunday, and how San Francisco adjusts to it may be the biggest key of the game.

Keys to victory: How 49ers offense can get back on track vs. Cardinals

The 49ers offense is in desperate need of a bounce back game after stumbling against the Seahawks.

The 49ers offense stumbled a bit vs. the Seahawks for a variety of reasons. It was the first time all year that unit appeared to be in a rut they couldn’t quite get out of.

That’ll have to change Sunday when Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals’ offense visit Levi’s Stadium. Here are three keys for San Francisco’s offense getting back on track:

1. Don’t drop passes

This is self explanatory. The 49ers dropped somewhere in the range of seven passes against the Seahawks, including one that led to an interception, and multiple that would’ve extended drives on third downs. Converting third downs and sustaining drives has been a key component of the 49ers’ offense this year. Catching the ball Sunday would be a good start to bouncing back.

2. Get the tight ends involved

While the 49ers will likely be without star tight end George Kittle, they have to ensure they’re getting Ross Dwelley and Garrett Celek involved in the passing game. Neither player is close to as dynamic as Kittle, but the Cardinals defense struggles badly to cover tight ends. Getting Dwelley and Kittle open could be an easy way to get completions for Jimmy Garoppolo and open up the rest of the passing attack.

3. A Jimmy G-peat

Garoppolo played the best game of his career against the Cardinals in Arizona two weeks ago. He completed 75.7 percent of his throws for 317 yards and four touchdowns. It’s tough to post those kinds of numbers with receivers dropping balls, but his decision-making was superb, and he didn’t make nearly as many bad throws as he did Monday night against Seattle. Getting the quarterback back on track will be the quickest way for San Francisco to kickstart their offense after a down game.

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing 49ers-Cardinals with Cards Wire

The Cardinals aren’t in the NFC playoff picture, but they can play spoiler for the 49ers.

The 49ers face the Cardinals on Sunday for the second time in three weeks. San Francisco won the first meeting 28-25, but the showing left some doubt as to whether Arizona is as bad as their now 3-6-1 record indicates.

We caught up with Jess Root, the managing editor of Cards Wire, to chat with him about Sunday’s matchup and how the Cardinals have gotten to this point in head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s first season.

Niners Wire: How much does having a healthy David Johnson change the Cardinals’ game plan on offense?

Jess Root: Well, it doesn’t really change much. With Kenyan Drake, it allows the Cardinals to do more or less everything they normally do. However, it does allow them to put both Johnson and Drake on the field at the same time. We saw a little of that against the Bucs, but it wasn’t used to the fullest degree with one motioning out of the backfield to receiver. That would be ideal in my opinion and would allow Johnson to get more involved successfully.

NW: Christian Kirk is coming off a huge three-touchdown game vs. Tampa Bay. Is he going to be the focal point of the Cards’ passing attack as long as he’s healthy?

JR: The Cardinals were really high on Kirk entering this season. Before his ankle injury against the Seahawks, he was really beginning to produce. Now, the Bucs are terrible in defending the pass, but his performance last week is the type of ceiling we expect. The team believes he has the juice to be a No. 1 receiver, and his positional flexibility makes him a tough matchup.

NW: Arizona is 27th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. Is their defense just missing talent, or is there something bigger going on?

JR: Well, since changing schemes back to a supposed “attacking 3-4 defense” didn’t yield better results, one would think that talent is the issue, rather than coaching or scheme, as they have been bad in a 4-3 and a 3-4 under two different coaches. That said, the Cardinals do have talent. Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson are among the best at their position. Jordan Hicks is solid. The problem is everywhere else is either manned by OK guys or young players who haven’t developed.

They brought in D.J. Swearinger last season, who was a borderline Pro Bowler. He was terrible. Robert Nkemdiche showed up fat and out of shape before he was cut. Darius Philon, a big free agent addition, allegedly pulled a gun on strippers and threatened them, leading to his arrest and release from the team. Linebacker Haason Reddick just hasn’t developed as an off-the-ball linebacker.

It’s a mess, and one has to wonder if they will have to change coordinators again.

NW: Three of Arizona’s six losses are by a combined 12 points. Two of those were vs. playoff teams, Baltimore and San Francisco. What’s the main reason the Cardinals are finding ways to stay in games with a middling offense and a bottom-of-the-league defense?

JR: Well, Kyler Murray is a playmaker. And the defense isn’t always bad. It is very good for about two-thirds of most games. Their middling offense is mostly the result of kicking field goals in the red zone instead of scoring touchdowns. They are scoring often, just not touchdowns. They also are the best at taking care of the ball, so they stay in ballgames that way.

NW: Prediction time. Do we get another close one, or does one team figure it out and run away with a win?

JR: With as many players out or expected to be out as there will be for the Niners, I expect another close game. San Fran will still make plays, but the Cardinals will once again move the ball against the 49ers defense. Kicker Chase McLaughlin’s made extra point will be the difference. 49ers 28, Cardinals 27

Candlestick Chronicles: Previewing 49ers bounce-back opportunity vs. Cardinals

Previewing the 49ers’ Week 11 matchup vs. the Arizona Cardinals with looks at Kyler Murray and David Johnson, as well as predictions.

The 49ers suffered their first loss of the year in Week 10, but bouncing back isn’t going to be easy. They welcome the Arizona Cardinals to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday just two weeks removed from a nail-biting 28-25 49ers victory in Arizona.

Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee is joined by Jess Root of the Cardinals Wire to discuss Kyler Murray’s progress, the return of running back David Johnson, and give their predictions for Sunday’s showdown.

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