3 Bold Predictions: Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers – Week 5

Hopkins cashes in

DeAndre Hopkins has been so-so since his stellar Week 1 performance in which he caught two touchdowns and 6-of-8 passes thrown his way. He hasn’t fallen off a cliff, and most receivers in the NFL would call such production “solid.” But three and four-catch games are below-average in DeAndre Hopkins standards.

Hopkins is facing a weaker secondary in San Francisco, and one that could give him a lot of leeway. Yes, the 49ers’ passing defense is 10th in the NFL, so they are by no means a pushover. However, they are among the worst teams in football when it comes to takeaways, with just one interception all season and a 0.7 interception percentage.

They’re also among the lower teams in the league in passes defended, while their 5.1 percent of allowing touchdown passes ranks 20th in the league (higher percentage, lower the rank).

Look for Hopkins to take full advantage of this weak secondary. And to make matters better for quarterback Kyler Murray, the 49ers’ pass rush has yet to show this season, posting just a 7.1 percent hurry percentage, and just a 20.5 percent quarterback pressures rate, which is the fifth-worst in football.

The K1 to Nuk show showed up in Week 1 against the Titans. And you can predict it will show up again against the 49ers. Look for Hopkins to log at least 100 receiving yards and another pair of touchdowns in this one.