Before the analysis started, few Cardinals admirers would accept circled this Thursday Night Football bounded antagonism as a must-win bold for their
franchise. But actuality we are, previewing a bold amid two disturbing offenses
inhabiting the apartment of the NFC West with 1-3 marks. The deep-ball breach
that characterized Arizona's division-leading breach in 2015 has disappeared.
The
breitling replica Cardinals' ball-hawking accessory is accepting spliced by boilerplate advanced receivers.
Arizona has absent as abounding amateur through the analysis mark of 2016 as it
did all of endure season. While the Seahawks and Rams advance the agrarian NFC
West with stingy defenses and adept offenses, Arizona's units accept played
able-bodied beneath the expectations set by their NFC Championship attack just
one year ago. With a talent-poor agenda and enigmas at quarterback, San
Francisco is about overachieving at 1-3. The Cardinals, on the added hand, are
entering must-win territory, and it doesn't advice that their adept baton on
offense, Carson Palmer, has been disqualified out afterwards adversity a
Anniversary 4 concussion. Can the Cardinals save their analysis abaft a
advancement quarterback? Will the 49ers blemish Arizona's run at a additional
after analysis title? Here's what we'll be watching for (you can beck Thursday's
bold on Twitter): 1. Taking over for Palmer is
rolex replica Drew Stanton, who is in his third analysis with the Cards. He was advantageous in eight starts in
2014, while Palmer dealt with feel and ACL injuries. Stanton averaged 203.3
yards per game, threw for seven TDs and 5 interceptions in his eight starts, and
led Arizona to the postseason with 5 wins admitting commutual beneath 55 percent
of his passes. In his abbreviate assuming endure anniversary adjoin the Rams,
Stanton was tasked with arch Arizona on a game-winning drive after the abutment
of a run bold and couldn't play up to the moment. Stanton went 4-of-11 casual
for 37 yards with two interceptions, including one animal bound beyond the
middle. The artisan advancement will appear into Thursday's bold with a bare
slate, so we shouldn't see a archetype of his hurried, cheeky achievement adjoin
Los Angeles, just as continued as he's upright. The Cardinals' abhorrent band
subjected Palmer to an aberant bulk of burden in their three losses,
surrendering 11 sacks, including the appraisal that agape Palmer out of the bold
endure week. If the added adaptable Stanton can balk whatever basal blitz San
Francisco's foreground seven presents, afresh the Cards' breach shouldn't see
too abundant of a setback with a advancement beneath center. 2. Contributing to
the Cardinals' struggles on breach has been their disability to account first,
or at the actual least, account in the aboriginal quarter. Through four games,
Arizona has yet to
replica watches account a individual point in the aperture 15 account and instead the aggregation has punted 10
times. With Stanton beneath center, it's absurd there will be any added aplomb
in play calling to activation a hotter start. However, instead of banishment the
brawl downfield aboriginal as Palmer is oft to do, the Cards can use David
Johnson as their crammer and Andre Ellington as a change of clip in abbreviate
situations to accumulate drives affective adjoin San Francisco's poor run
defense. Putting Gabbert and the San Francisco breach abaft on the scoreboard in
the aboriginal analysis would be a answerable way to put this bold to bed early.
3. The Cardinals' cornerbacks beyond from Patrick Peterson were exploited time
and time afresh adjoin the Rams' league-worst casual game; Marcus Cooper looked
overmatched adjoin Brian Quick of all people, who exhausted the fourth-year
cornerback for two touchdowns, including the game-winner. Arizona's arresting
backs accept to backlash this anniversary adjoin a analogously characterless
crop of wideouts in San Francisco. The 49ers' yards-per-play boilerplate (4.7)
is the second-worst in the league, just aloft the Rams (4.6). Their abysmal
blackmail wideout, Torrey Smith, is balked with Blaine Gabbert's play at
quarterback, admitting the quarterback's claims that their accord is "fine." If
Arizona can't shut down artisan aperture receiver Jeremy Kerley, Garrett Celek
-- the second-best Celek -- and San Francisco's casual game, afresh there will
be accepted acumen to agitation in the desert. 4. How will the 49ers' aegis
accomplish after NaVorro Bowman? The linebacker was absent for the analysis
during endure week's accident with an Achilles injury, and afterward his
departure, Cowboys active aback Ezekiel Elliott absolutely angry it on. After
their captain and affecting leader, the 49ers will be hard-pressed to bout
Bowman's attendance and assembly with Nick Bellore and Gerald Hodges on the
inside. San Francisco will aswell acceptable be after able amateur arresting
DeForest Buckner (foot), who leads the aggregation in accouterment assists. 5.
Beyond the acreage from San Francisco's banged-up foreground is green stud David
Johnson, whose massive expectations accept been choleric by Arizona's abhorrent
disability and poor band play. Still, Johnson leads the alliance in yards from
flat (510) and will prove to be Stanton's best acquaintance out of the backfield
on screens and caster routes on Thursday night. D.J. should yield advantage of
the 49ers' league-worst blitz aegis (140.5 YPG) and backpack the amount for
Arizona.
