Arizona Cardinals vs 49ers preview: Four critical areas
By Chad Barrett
The Arizona Cardinals could turn this one into a blowout if . . .
The Arizona Cardinals (1-6) take on the also San Francisco 49ers (1-6) this Sunday at State Farm Stadium. With the Cards looking for a rejuvenated offense behind new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and the 49ers riddled with injuries, this game has a lot of potential for Arizona to make a strong showing. However, in order for that to happen, four areas are critical for the Redbirds:
Johnson, Johnson, Wherefore Art Thou?
It’s no secret that David Johnson has yet to get going this season. Most pundits blame Mike McCoy‘s play calling and the fact that Johnson has had few runs to the outside and even fewer receiving targets. The “buzz” in the Cardinals’ media this week indicates that is all about to change.
New OC Byron Leftwich is part of the Bruce Arians school; a school that utilized Johnson as much as humanly possible. Will we see a return to that on Sunday? Yep. More Johnson receiving? Yep. More Johnson outside runs? Yep. Play action? Yep.
If we do see all those things, expect the Cardinals to put some serious points on the board. If we don’t . . . then getting rid of McCoy was all for naught.