49ers vs. Cardinals: What's the Game Plan for San Francisco?
The San Francisco 49ers will look to rebound in Week 3 after an embarrassing 43-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers a week ago.
At 1-1, the 49ers will square off against the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium in a matchup featuring two NFC West rivals gunning for supremacy atop the division. Arizona is coming off back-to-back impressive victories over the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively.
For San Francisco, the defense will need to put forth a solid effort and not repeat the same mistakes seen against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown—both of whom torched the 49ers secondary last Sunday.
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On offense, the 49ers should look to re-establish their rushing attack and ensure running back Carlos Hyde is given adequate lanes in which to exploit Arizona's defense. This will go alongside a much-needed effort to protect quarterback Colin Kaepernick from the exposure seen in Pittsburgh.
So how will San Francisco go about doing this? What is the game plan for head coach Jim Tomsula's squad as the 49ers gear up for this critical showdown?
Offensive Game Plan
The 49ers were able to muster 409 all-purpose yards in Week 2, but most of these came in "garbage time" after Pittsburgh got out to a significant lead by the third quarter.
A major part of the problem was the lack of push from the 49ers' offensive line.
Kaepernick was sacked five times. Hyde managed just 43 yards on 13 carries before exiting with a leg and head injury.
This particular play breaks down what went wrong with San Francisco's O-line in Week 2. The 49ers are pressed deep in their own territory. Notice the right side of the O-line (yellow circles) at the snap.
Right tackle Erik Pears holds his block adequately enough. But right guard Jordan Devey all but misses his assignment on the Steelers' pass-rusher (red circle) and, along with center Marcus Martin blocking to his left, a major hole in the center of the line opens up right in front of Kaepernick.
With Hyde blocking toward the left of the line, Pittsburgh's interior blitz is uncontested. Devey (yellow arrow) looks all but lost in the effort.
Devey finished with a minus-3.2 pass-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus. Missed assignments and botched communication are offensive killers.
Such mistakes cannot be repeated against Arizona in Week 3.
Granted, the Cardinals have just four sacks on the young season. Pass-rushing linebacker Alex Okafor will be a player to watch as San Francisco looks to shore up its pass protection. Perhaps the 49ers will attempt to employ additional tight end sets, as was the case in Week 1 versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Another part of the equation will be the continuation of Kaepernick's passing abilities. Despite the outcome being all but sealed in the fourth quarter last week, San Francisco's signal-caller still showed poise and promise upon which the offense can build moving forward.
One of the highlights was a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith.
Smith's touchdown reception finally showcased the deep-threat aerial attack, which has been absent from the 49ers offense for so long.
San Francisco's wideout (yellow circle) is lined up in the slot position to the left side of the O-line. He'll run a post route towards the center of the field with fellow receiver Anquan Boldin (yellow arrow) drawing coverage to that side.
Kaepernick puts some touch on this pass splitting two Steelers defensive backs in the process. Notice how only one Pittsburgh player is in position to make a play, while the other (red arrow) is a few steps off in coverage.
This will be the type of offense San Francisco will have to replicate against a Cardinals secondary that has allowed 580 passing yards (6th most in the NFL) over two weeks.
Expect an up-tempo, quick-attack approach from offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.
And let's hope San Francisco can find paydirt in the red zone as well.
Defensive Game Plan
Applying pressure to Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer will be at the heart of San Francisco's defensive efforts in Week 3.
And it won't be easy.
Palmer has yet to be sacked and has thrown seven touchdowns against one interception this season.
Finding exploitable gaps along Arizona's O-line will be paramount for the 49ers' pass-rushers. Cardinals offensive lineman Earl Watford is a weakness with a minus-6.5 cumulative-season grade per Pro Football Focus.
Provided right tackle Bobby Massie doesn't start, Watford will line up as Arizona's right tackle per the team's depth chart. Look for edge-rushers like linebacker Aaron Lynch to try to exploit this weakness.
One of Lynch's 2015 pressures is seen here from Week 1.
Lynch (yellow circle) will execute an interior pass-rushing move between Minnesota's right tackle and guard.
With Lynch already pressuring, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (red circle) will try to exploit a small window (white arrow) to escape the pocket.
But linebacker NaVorro Bowman (yellow arrow) closes the gap and brings Bridgewater down.
Similar combinations of exterior pressure and secondary pass rush will help keep Palmer from extending plays and letting receiving targets like Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown do damage to a questionable 49ers secondary.
Look for San Francisco's safety tandem of Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea to also lend better support behind the cast of cornerbacks who were victimized by Roethlisberger and the Steelers passing game in Week 2.
And, of course, the 49ers will try to eliminate Arizona's rushing attack.
With No. 1 running back Andre Ellington not practicing this week, look for backups Chris Johnson and David Johnson to try to press San Francisco's defense on the ground.
Key Players and Matchups
Reviving the pass rush will be at the heart of the 49ers' efforts on Sunday. Ensuring Palmer does not have adequate time to read through his targets and deliver the ball will, ultimately, determine the effectiveness of the Cardinals' offense.
Lynch versus the right side of Arizona's O-line will be a matchup to watch. The second-year linebacker has just one sack on the young season but boasts a plus-1.3 pass-rushing grade in 2015 per Pro Football Focus.
Other players, like Bowman and safety Jaquiski Tartt, might also be called upon to properly deliver pressure on Palmer.
But the pass rush won't always get there, so San Francisco's secondary will need to do a better job of clamping down on Brown and Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald already has 199 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the young season. His impressive performance over the Bears last week continues to solidify the 32-year-old veteran's efforts at this stage in his career.
The Cardinals will likely try to line Fitzgerald up in the slot against a combination of 49ers defensive backs Jimmie Ward and Dontae Johnson. It's feasible to see some extra coverage help from Bethea and/or Reid depending on the frequency of Cardinals three-wide offensive sets.
San Francisco's O-line will be under scrutiny after a disastrous showing in Week 2. The efforts of Devey and Pears will, once more, be monitored with Cardinals' pass-rushers looking to find weaknesses.
But if the protection is adequate enough, Kaepernick should be able to test a permeable Arizona secondary. Boldin will frequently match up opposite Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson while Jerraud Powers will be tasked with covering Smith.
And look for Kaepernick to find tight end Vernon Davis if Arizona chooses to focus its efforts on eliminating Smith and/or Boldin's abilities.
Prediction
Given their record and how they've beaten opponents so far, one might easily see how the Cardinals are favorites to come away with a victory in Week 3.
But the 49ers have played Arizona tough in recent seasons. And there should be little reason to expect anything different between these two division rivals.
The Cardinals will likely try to keep Hyde from controlling the offensive rhythm, which should open things up for San Francisco's aerial attack.
It's an element in which Smith feels the 49ers are improving, per the team's website:
"It’s definitely one of the positives to take from the game. We were able to move the ball throwing the ball. … And it wasn’t like we were stealing yards. (The Steelers) were still out there fighting hard. It’s something that we can build on.
"
The 49ers will be looking to rectify the embarrassment of Week 2 and improve the areas in which they struggled in Pittsburgh.
Tomsula's squad should come out angry, physical and eager to knock off the only undefeated team remaining in the NFC West.
Let's go with an upset here and hope San Francisco gets back on track with a much-needed victory in Arizona.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a featured columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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