49ers look to keep winning ways going vs. Cardinals; 3 keys to victory
Nick Bosa walked into his postgame press conference last Sunday confident after a win over the New England Patriots and hopeful that the "sky is falling" narrative surrounding the San Francisco 49ers would be put to an end.
"If you look online, you'd think the building's burning down," Bosa said.
It was the perfect way for the defensive end to tell The Faithful to R-E-L-A-X. The 49ers evened their record at 2-2 and the offense proved that it can still be explosive thanks to big throws from Brock Purdy, another 100-yard plus day from Jordan Mason, and a catch-of-the-year nominee from George Kittle.
The next step in proving that Levi's Stadium isn't in fact burning down. It is to stack wins on top of each other, which the Niners have a chance of doing Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Their NFC West foes enter 1-3 and are coming off a beat down from the Washington Commanders.
Here are three big things to watch from that game.
The Heat
Levi's Stadium isn't burning down, but it could melt away on Sunday. Temperatures at game time are expected to be near 99 degrees which would be the hottest game in the history of the stadium. It certainly isn't the heat that the 49ers are accustomed to playing to at home. Even the Cardinals aren't acclimated to that heat given they play in a dome. Head coach Kyle Shanahan says that the team will employ IVs to keep guys hydrated.
The league denied the Niners' request to change their uniforms to all white. That's a decision that has to be approved well before the season. It will be hot for Santa Clara standards, but it's not like many of these players haven't played in these temperatures before.
Last time I checked, there is outdoor football being played in Florida. When asked about how hot it would be, Deebo Samuel wasn't all that worried. After all, he played college football at South Carolina.
"I'm from the South," he joked. "It gets hotter than this."
Purdy's Bid for Ownership
As Tom Brady hopes to have his offer approved to own 10 percent of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brock Purdy might be added to the ownership group of the Arizona Cardinals.
No, not really. But Purdy's hometown team is getting sick of playing against the 49ers QB1. In three career starts against the Cardinals, Purdy is undefeated. He's thrown for 703 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. The most startling stat is his passer rating, 150.4. That's just eight percentage points off a perfect record.
Purdy is off to a hot start this season. He entered Week 5 with the second most passing yards in the NFL and he could be in MVP talks yet again. If he makes it a 4th straight start with a win against Arizona, he might not be welcomed back to the 48th State next time he visits family.
Injuries Galore
If you looked at the 49ers injury report on Wednesday, you'd have thought they might need to hold open-tryouts to even field a team on Sunday. In the middle of the week, six different players did not practice and another four were limited. The names that raised the biggest eyebrow were George Kittle and Fred Warner.
Kittle was dealing with a rib injury that he played through against the Patriots. Warner didn't play a snap of the second half that day. His ankle was stepped on and left the game after having a pick-six in the first half.
Thankfully for the 49ers, both Kittle and Warner practiced on Friday. They were seen working out to the side the day before but fully re-joined the team during their final full practice before the game.
We saw how the 49ers struggled against the Rams when missing key players. It's something they can't afford to do against Arizona. Losing a second-straight divisional game would spell trouble for a potential postseason tie-breaker.
Stat of the Week
Betting odds don't mean everything, but they are typically an indication of where voters might stand on a specific award. I have to assume the betting odds are rigged for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. Fred Warner entered Week 5 with the 7th highest-odds ("7th most likely") to win the DPOY.
That's crazy. His three forced fumbles are most in the NFL. His two interceptions are third-best in the NFL…oh, and he's a linebacker. Warner has a pick-six and touchdown saving takeaway this season. If you ask his teammates, there is no question who should be in the lead for this award.
"I feel like he been playing like the MVP of the whole league, definitely the Defensive Player of the Year," Mooney Ward said.
Quote of the Week
"He reminds me of Marshawn Lynch a little bit. He's got a little Beast Mode in him."
That's what left tackle Trent Williams had to say about Jordan Mason this week. That is music to the 49ers ears who have gotten more than they could have ever imagined out of a guy who was their third-string running back a year ago. If Mason rushes for 100 yards or more on Sunday, it will be his fourth game doing so this season.
