San Francisco 49ers

Cardinals vs. 49ers: Breaking Down Week 5 for San Francisco

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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This Thursday night matchup between the 49ers and the Cardinals will be the game to watch!

November 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) runs with the football against Arizona Cardinals strong safety Tony Jefferson (22) during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Mainly because it will be the only game to watch. But there’s one guarantee I can promise you, between both of these 1-3 teams, one will finally taste victory.

49ers

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The magnitude of this game is immense. Both of these teams are tied for dead last in the NFC West and are desperately trying to turn their season around. It’s been sour apples for both of these teams thus far. But after this game one team will be 2-3 in the division and the other will be a lonely 1-4.

A 2-3 record in the first quarter of the season isn’t too shabby, especially if this win gives that team the confidence boost they need. We all know how momentum can change the course of a season’s outcome.

Here’s an example…

The 2015 Kansas City Chiefs started out their season at 1-5, a record that would cause many to say, “Well there’s always next year,” and throw in the proverbial white towel. But this is professional football. Every team wants to win and will make the necessary decisions to stay competitive.

After a dreadful start, the Chiefs started to do one thing differently, they started to win. It wasn’t based off magic or overnight success; it was simply one win at a time. One big victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers put their record at 2-5. A record that probably didn’t frighten many teams in the league, but that win changed something in the chemistry of the Chiefs. To everyone’s surprise they continued to win, in fact they went onto a 10 game winning streak that carried them into the post season.

Along with gaining confidence and a momentum swing, I doubt the win streak of the Chiefs came without some type of adjustments. In this league everything is in hyper-speed and is ever changing.

So this game gives both the 49ers and the Cardinals a chance to reevaluate some things that haven’t worked this season.

November 29, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Levi

Week 5 by the Numbers

It’s been a rough start for the crimson and gold offensively and defensively. Blaine Gabbert and the 49ers offense have been nothing close to electrifying. At least not as much as we’d hoped when it was announced  offensive guru Chip Kelly would be taking over as head coach.

In comparison to the rest of the NFL, the 49ers rank 28th out of 32 teams with only 1,171 yards. The Atlanta Falcons lead the NFL with1,915. In passing the Niners are just above the Green Bay Packers at only 715 yards. Out of 119 pass attempts, Gabbert has only completed 69, giving him a 58.0 completion percentage. Yikes!

Statistically speaking this can’t continue if the Niners want to stay competitive offensively.

However, Kelly’s offensive schematics usually hinge on the run game. Control the clock and beat ’em in the trenches. Many teams have found success with this in the past but… the Niners are struggling here as well. The 49ers are ninth in the NFL for rushing yards. One can say hmm, out of 32 teams that’s not too shabby.

Well, the 49ers also have the third highest attempts of any other team at 128, with an average of only 3.6 yards per attempt. However, the bright spot is they have the second most scoring touchdowns in the NFL with seven.

So if the Niners can add a few more yards per attempt on the ground and find an equal balance of success in the pass game they could increase their win-to-loss ratio.

Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals won 47-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

49ers Defense

Defensively, the Niners make you want to shake your head in frustration.

Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, they pitched a shutout, skunking the Rams 28-0. Then the following weeks, the 49ers defense has given up large chunk plays which resulted in points for their opponents. Right now the 49ers D is 26th, falling near the bottom of the worst defenses in the NFL. They have given up 1,560 yards, an average of 390 yards per game.

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Unfortunately for the 49ers defensive front, they are on the field more then any other team. This is one of the key flaws in a Chip Kelly offense. Because his play calling offensively is so fast paced, it barely gives the defense time to catch their breath, before having to go back out onto the field and battle.

Especially with the Niners lack of success on offense and third down efficiency.

So, in this formula, if the 49ers offense isn’t firing on all cylinders it’s hard to expect the defense to be as well.

The defense of the 49ers however, have had some shiny moments over the course of four weeks. Illuminating Week 1’s obvious success. They have managed to rank 12th in defensive takeaways, with four interceptions and four fumble recoveries. The biggest key to success for the 49ers D is to stop the third-down conversions and get off the field. While the offense needs to do the exact opposite, they need to convert on third downs and extent the plays.

That being said, let’s take a look at some of the 49ers offensive and defensive X factors.

Oct 4, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) reacts after recording a sack. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Some Keys to Watch For

Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback Carson Palmer will not be playing this week against the 49ers. Palmer suffered a concussion in last week’s loss to the L.A. Rams, so backup Drew Stanton will take the reins.

This could be an opportunity for the 49ers front seven to take advantage of the less-seasoned backup.

Also, the 49ers regain the ever-dangerous pass rushing presence of outside linebacker Aaron Lynch. Lynch was suspended for the first four weeks due to violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. With the addition of Lynch, the pass-rush prowess of the Niners should increase this week. Lynch and fellow outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks each had 12.5 sacks in 2014 through 2015.

Offensively, the 49ers have had their share of struggles. When Blaine Gabbert and the offense find success on third downs they have controlled the clock and marched the ball down the field, resulting in points. But until the QB and the receivers become more in-sync the success of the run game will stay stagnant.

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So here we are.

The countdown to this Thursday night showdown starts now.

It will be interesting to see which of these two 1-3 teams has the moxie to dig deep, lower the pads and change their season around. There’s still hope, just ask the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

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