© Stan Szeto | 2019 Oct 27
The 49ers are rolling, and don’t look like they can be stopped.
Sunday was supposed to be one of the bigger tests of the season, a matchup vs. the 4-2 Panthers who boast MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. It was not. The 49ers embarrassed Carolina, dropping 51 points on the NFL’s third ranked defense (according to Football Outsiders), while also sacking Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen seven times.
Now the three-win Arizona Cardinals stand in the way of an 8-0 record for the Red & Gold. On paper this should be a cakewalk — the 49ers are favored by -9.5 points. Not so fast according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, who detailed his concerns about the “trap game” with Papa & Lund on Monday.
“It’s a set-up,” Thompson said. “It’s a short week, unconventional quarterback…Kyler (Murray), Lamar (Jackson) they’re just trickier and they’re so fast. I don’t know if you can chase them down like you did Kyle Allen from behind, and tackle them at the ankles. I don’t know.”
The game’s most interesting subplot lies in the fact that it’s a matchup between the top two picks in last year’s draft, Murray and Nick Bosa. Bosa is coming off a three-sack performance that catapulted him into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Murry has been solid and shown flashes of the incredible athleticism and arm strength he showed while at the University of Oklahoma.
Despite the Cardinals’ questionable talent, division games on the road are often more competitive. Interestingly, Kyle Shanahan has lost all four games against Arizona since taking over as head coach.
“They play that offense where they’re down to throw deep, they’re taking shots. They’re slinging it, he’s moving the pocket. They’re drawing up stuff where he’s getting outside of the pocket.
“It’s just a trickier thing. They haven’t seen it before. They’re feeling good at 7-0. At some point they’ve got to lose, I imagine. This feels like a trap game.”
Listen to the full interview below.