6 Burning Questions Facing the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15

The San Francisco 49ers ordinarily wouldn’t stand a chance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Niners (4-9) are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and the Bengals (10-3) are one of the best. But the Bengals don’t have their quarterback, Andy Dalton. He’s likely done for the season with a broken thumb, though Cincinnati hasn’t officially ruled out a postseason return.

AJ McCarron, the Bengals backup quarterback, will start this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the Niners have held in check some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season.

Could the Niners actually win this game?

That’s one burning question San Francisco will face in Week 15. Here are five more.

Can the 49ers Shut Down AJ McCarron?

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The Niners shut down Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer on November 29—only three weeks ago. Palmer posted a passer rating of just 80.3 in that game—his lowest rating of the season.

That was no fluke.

The Niners defense has been excellent all season at home, where it has allowed an average team passer rating of 85.2—despite facing quarterbacks such as Palmer, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks.

McCarron will be the worst quarterback the Niners have faced at Levi’s Stadium in 2015. Can the 49ers take advantage of an inexperienced backup making his first NFL start on the road?

Can the 49ers Also Shut Down Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard?

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After giving up 223 total rushing yards this past Sunday to Cleveland Browns no-name running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr., it seems silly to wonder if the Niners run defense can shut down anyone anymore.

This Sunday, the Niners will face Bengals running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, who are much better than Crowell and Johnson. Hill and Bernard should eat the 49ers’ lunch, right?

Maybe not.

The 49ers are giving up only 3.7 yards per carry at home this season and have downed some of the league’s leading rushers, including Chris Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals, Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

Can the 49ers shut down Hill and Bernard too?

Can the 49ers Block Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap?

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The Bengals have two terrific pass-rushers: defensive tackle Geno Atkins (8.0 sacks) and defensive end Carlos Dunlap (10.5 sacks).

Dunlap plays left defensive end, so he will rush against 49ers right tackle Erik Pears, who has given up nine sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Advantage: Bengals

However, the Niners can help Pears somewhat by chipping Dunlap with a tight end.

Atkins will rush against a guard, most likely Marcus Martin, who has played most of the season at center and is one of the weakest offensive linemen in the NFL.

Can the 49ers block Atkins and Dunlap, or will those two destroy San Francisco's offense?

Can the 49ers Exploit Dre Kirkpatrick?

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The Bengals defense has one weakness: left cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

Pro Football Focus ranks Kirkpatrick 114th out of 116 corners who have played at least 25 percent of their teams’ snaps this season. The Niners should go after this guy all game.

Anquan Boldin normally would be the perfect guy to exploit a corner like Kirkpatrick. But Boldin hasn’t been himself lately. He caught just two passes for only 22 receiving yards last Sunday. On December 6 against the Chicago Bears, he caught five passes for only 37 receiving yards. He may be slowing down.

Third-year wideout Quinton Patton seems like the Niners’ best receiver now. Is he good enough to take advantage of Kirkpatrick?

Can the 49ers Score 16 Points?

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Quiz: Which team has given up the fewest points per game at home this season?

Answer: The 49ers. They have given up no more than 20 points in any home game this season and only 15.8 points per home game on average. Their defense has been surprisingly good and remarkably consistent at Levi’s Stadium.

If only the Niners offense could score 16 points this Sunday, San Francisco probably could beat Cincinnati.

Are 16 points too much to ask for?

Probably.

The Niners are averaging only 13.5 points per game at home this season—worst in the NFL. What a disgrace.

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Unless otherwise noted, all statistics in this article were obtained via ESPN.com.