The Arizona Cardinals are back at work this week as they prepare for the second half of the NFL regular season. Coming off of a bye week, the team should be well-rested, well-refreshed, and ready to face their NFC West division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. The team cannot look past this match-up that sources have coined a “trap game” for the Cardinals. The 49ers at 1-7 for the season, and after losing their last seven games in a row, are not very good.
Arizona Cardinals Week Ten Keys to Victory
“We’re not overlooking anybody,” said quarterback Carson Palmer. “It’s a team that can beat you. It’s a team with a quarterback that can take off and run. It’s a team with a great running back. They run a lot of misdirection stuff, a lot can happen on defense.”
Due in part to player injuries, as well as the inability to finish out games, the Cardinals at 3-4-1, have had a rough first half of their own. Currently the team resides behind the Seattle Seahawks (5-2-1) for second place in the division. The 49ers are at the bottom of the division looking up. The Cardinals host this game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Game time is 2:30 MST on FOX.
Setting The Table
This will be the second time this season that the two teams have met. Palmer was unable to play in the first game and back-up Drew Stanton did what he could to secure the 33-21 victory. It was because of this particular loss for the 49ers that quarterback Blaine Gabbert was benched, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been at the helm ever since. Despite the change, the 49ers’ dreadful losing streak continues to persist. It is up to the Cardinals defense to assure the 49ers and their streak of losses stays right on track.
Palmer is healthy after the bye and more than ready to play in this match-up. Hopefully, the Cardinals start out strong and fresh, and dominate this game in front of their home crowd, just as they should. Face it, when it comes to who’s the better team on offense as well as defense, the 49ers are not of the same caliber as the Cardinals. This game is as “must win” for the team as any other on the schedule. If the Cardinals plan on making it to the post-season, they must beat the 49ers.
KEYS TO THE GAME
The Defense
After eight games, the Cardinals have the number one defense in the league. The team has only allowed 297 yards per game to other teams (the fewest in the league) and they are third in the league against the pass (294.9). Safety Tyrann Mathieu (dislocated shoulder) and cornerback Tharold Simon (ankle) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game. It will be up to the next men up, to chip in and handle the task at hand.
The Running Game
In the last match-up against the 49ers, David Johnson very effectively carried the ball 27 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns. It’s now midway through the 2016 season and Johnson has already amassed 705 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns. Combine these numbers with his receiving total of 407 yards, and Johnson has accumulated 1,112 yards overall from scrimmage. With these stats, he is well on pace to earn the “Offensive Player of the Year” award. Johnson needs to be the workhorse he has become if the Cardinals plan on beating the 49ers this time around.
The Pass Protection
In the Cardinals last game, the 30-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Palmer was sacked a total of eight times. Against the 49ers, the team must do whatever they can to rally around their quarterback and assure this doesn’t happen. Palmer has proven he can move the offense up and down the field with accuracy and proficiency if he has solid protection and time to throw the football.
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