3 favorable matchups for the Cardinals in Week 5 vs. the 49ers

DeAndre Hopkins vs. 49ers pass defense

Hopkins has seen three quiet weeks, at least for DeAndre Hopkins standards. However, he’s facing one of the NFL’s weakest units at cornerback that has logged just one interception all season and overall, a 0.7 percent interception percentage.

And as mentioned earlier in today’s article, the 49ers’ tenth-ranked passing defense may only be so because of their run defense, which despite seeing just 106 carries against them, have allowed larger chunks of yardage per play, 4.5 yards per carry overall.

Hopkins has not had a standout performance since Week 1 when he caught six passes on eight targets for two touchdowns. But he has also faced talented corners over the past two weeks in Shaquill Griffin (Jaguars), and Jalen Ramsey (Rams). Per Pro Football Focus, Emmanuel Moseley and Dre Kirkpatrick sit atop the 49ers depth chart at cornerback.

Hopkins has a huge opportunity to take over the game here. And even if he continues to post pedestrian numbers, look for Murray to once again exploit weaknesses in the pass defense with his arsenal of pass-catchers.