The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers will fly south to Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday as the NFL continues its international series.
Both NFC West sides are coming off victories last weekend, with the Cards defeating the Los Angeles Rams 27-17, while the Niners remained a game above them following a 22-16 triumph against the other Los Angeles team, the Chargers.
Match preview
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For the majority of the 2022 campaign, the Cardinals have been heavily reliant on big plays and scoring lots of points, but once in a while, they surprise us just as they did last Sunday.
They were indeed facing the worst offence in the NFL in the Rams, but they improved across the board defensively, posting three quarterback sacks with one interception and perhaps most impressively limited Cooper Kupp, who got injured in the fourth quarter, to just three catches for -1 yards.
Kliff Kingsbury and his team will face a stiff challenge in pass coverage this weekend as the Niners possess many speedy wide receivers and running backs who are physical and can create significant gains in short passing and screen situations.
Without their number one quarterback against the Rams, Arizona resorted to more throws over the middle, successfully spreading the ball around as six different players caught a pass last Sunday.
If the former number one overall pick from the 2019 NFL draft is available, you would think the Cards will utilize his legs in the open field as his speed and ability to make people miss is as good as any quarterback in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Arizona will also face a tough challenge when it comes to containing the Niners' depth at the running back position.
Vance Joseph's unit have been good but not great at stopping the run, allowing an average of 4.5 yards per carry to opposing running backs this season.
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If the Cards want some tips on how to limit the damage of opposing offences, they might want to watch the 49ers more often.
In 2022, San Fran have allowed a league-low 280.6 yards per game, thanks in part to their ability to pressure quarterbacks, tied for fourth in the NFL with 29 sacks.
Keeping wide receivers in check has been another story for DeMeco Ryans's defensive crew, who have allowed a 92.9 rating to that position.
Kyle Shanahan's offence is ranked 17th in the league, doing a better job at mixing up the pass and run plays against the Chargers, as seven receivers had at least one catch, and four players had touches in the backfield.
That allowed them to grind that game out and eat up the clock with a time of possession just shy of 37 minutes, about 14 minutes more than the Chargers.
San Francisco does a lot of things well defensively, notably containing running quarterbacks, something they could face on Monday, allowing a mere 3.3 yards per carry to opposing pivots this year.
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Team News
Arizona got some immense contributions from their receiving corps against the Rams as DeAndre Hopkins, and Rondale Moore combined for 19 catches for 192 yards, taking a lot of pressure off backup quarterback Colt McCoy, who went 26/37 for 238 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.
James Conner only averaged 3.3 yards per carry on the ground last week but found the end zone twice, AJ Green had their lone touchdown catch, Antonio Hamilton led all players with 10 tackles and Budda Baker had an interception.
Starting QB Kyler Murray was limited at practice this week due to a hamstring strain, Zach Ertz was not on the field on Friday because of a knee injury, while Byron Murphy and DJ Humphries were unavailable due to back issues.
Elijah Mitchell returned to the 49ers lineup last weekend and was instrumental in the backfield, carrying the ball 18 times for 89 yards, while Jimmy Garoppolo has been efficient of late, completing at least 67% of his passes over the past three weeks for a 100.0 rating this year.
Christian McCaffrey was contained by the Chargers, averaging 2.7 yards per carry but still posting a touchdown, Nick Bosa picked up another sack, moving him into a tie for second in the league with Za'Darius Smith (9.5), Charvarius Ward has held opposing receivers to a 65.0 rating in 2022 and Dre Greenlaw led them with six tackles a week ago.
Danny Gray seems to be fully recovered from his ankle strain, and Trent Williams took part in full practices this week despite a previous knock.
Samson Ebukam still has an issue with his Achilles, and Arik Armstead is unlikely to play because of a foot and ankle injury.
Head To Head
The overall series between these two clubs is pretty even, with the 49ers holding the edge 32-29, though the Cards won both meetings last year as Conner had two rushing scores and a TD catch in a 31-17 victory.
In September 2020, a fourth-quarter TD run by Murray and Kenyan Drake propelled Arizona to a narrow 24-20 triumph, with Chase Edmonds also catching a touchdown in the opening quarter of that game.
Two months later, former San Francisco QB CJ Beathard threw a pair of TD passes to Kyle Juszczyk and one to Jeffrey Wilson in a 20-12 victory in Glendale.
We say: Arizona Cardinals 20-24 San Francisco 49ers
Whether Murray plays, we believe the 49ers' defence will ultimately be the story, as their defensive line is as challenging to contend with as anyone.
Look for a good variety of run and pass plays from San Francisco against the Cards, and the Niners offensive and defensive depth should be enough to earn them another win.
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