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| Tuesday, September 28 | |||||||||||||
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There's no question the 49ers and Cardinals have tremendous overall talent, but the catalysts for both offenses are Steve Young and Jake Plummer. Thus far in 1999, however, neither quarterback has played up to his abilities.
Young appears to have become a little frenetic in the pocket. He always played looking for opportunities outside the pocket, but I think the fact he was sacked five times and hit 21 times last week against New Orleans has really taken a toll on him. He really isn't setting himself in the pocket and showing the poise he normally has. The beatings are wearing him down. If a quarterback gets hit as many times as Young has, he begins to feel the pressure. The Niners need to make some changes on the offensive line or Young will not finish the season. Right tackle Jeremy Newberry had an atrocious game against the Saints. If they play with a tackle who can't handle a rushing end or linebacker in a one-on-one situation, he's going to hurt the offense. It forces the 49ers to keep a tight end or back in to protect, or to slide the protection to that side. The 49ers have been trying a number of line combinations. It will interesting to see how it all works out when they announce the starting lineups Monday night. Here are the keys for Monday night's matchup:
San Francisco 49ers
Garner, with his cutback, slashing style, is an outstanding runner for the 49ers system. If he gets 20 to 22 carries a game, he can be very productive. The 49ers just need to show more commitment to the run. 2. Strike fear in the Cardinals secondary: When defensive backs get up into an in-your-face, bump-and-run position on Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice and J.J. Stokes, that shows a lack of concern about the 49ers going deep. So far the Jaguars and the Saints have demonstrated no respect for San Francisco's deep threat. Only time will tell if the receivers will be able to beat the jam at the line of scrimmage. But in two games, I have seen a high percentage of plays in which the receivers were challenged at the line of scrimmage, and the 49ers haven't beaten them. The 49ers need to find a way to get the ball downfield and manufacture points in the passing game. Arizona's secondary is outstanding. With players like Aeneas Williams, Corey Chavous, Tommy Bennett, Kwamie Lassiter and Tom Knight, the defensive secondary is the Cardinals' strength. They have a favorable matchup against the 49ers receivers, who will continue to see a physical style until they can prove they can win at the line of scrimmage and go deep. 3. Consistency in the secondary: The 49ers defensive backfield has really struggled. Strong safety Tim McDonald, now 34, is playing more as a fourth linebacker. He is a run defender who will cover the short areas of the field. Any time you get him away from the line of scrimmage, he is a liability in pass coverage. He is being exposed in that area. Judging by the recent trades the 49ers have made, they are very unhappy with their secondary. Darnell Walker and Mark McMillian are tough, physical players, but they don't have the quickness and the hip turn they need to play consistently in the NFL. The secondary needs to improve or the 49ers will continue to struggle. The Cardinals have a nice matchup advantage in their three-wideout set, with Frank Sanders, Rob Moore and rookie David Boston. Either the secondary needs to stop the Arizona receivers from making big plays or the 49ers' front four needs to put pressure on Plummer.
Arizona Cardinals 2. Throw to the tight end: Most proponents of the passing game control the hashmark area of the field. That's where the tight end becomes vitally important. The Cardinals have a solid tight end in Terry Hardy. If the Cardinals can use him to control the hash area, the 49er linebackers can't drop deep to take away Arizona's three receivers. So it's critical the Cardinals get Hardy more involved in the passing game. Again, that matchup favors Arizona because McDonald, who would cover Hardy, is much better against the run than he is pass coverage. The Cardinals need to isolate McDonald in coverage against Hardy. 3. Pressure, pressure, pressure: With Andre Wadsworth and Simeon Rice on the edges, the Cardinals should be able to get quick pressure on Young, who has already been sacked nine times. The 49ers offensive line is in disarray, making them more vulnerable against speed-rushing defensive ends like Wadsworth and Rice. Fortunately for the 49ers, defensive tackles Eric Swann and Mark Smith are out, but the Cardinals have decent fill-ins. The Arizona linebackers played much better last week against Miami than they did in Week 1 against Philadelphia, when they tackled poorly, didn't get good depth in their drops and seemed a bit lost. Combining the linebackers, the secondary and their two rush ends, the Cardinals have a solid defense.
Former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski appears each week on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown and Edge NFL Matchup. He breaks down the Monday Night Football matchup each week on ESPN.com. | ALSO SEE Cards' defensive ends worry 49ers
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AUDIO/VIDEO Terrell Owens talks on ESPN's Up Close about the 49ers' struggles. RealVideo: | 28.8 |