3 favorable matchups for the Cardinals in Week 9 vs. the 49ers

Cardinals on 3rd down vs. 49ers on 3rd down

The Cardinals’ defense ranks first in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage, at 30.9 percent. Do you want more fun? They also rank first in the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage, at 30 percent. They don’t fare as well in the red zone, with 56.5 percent of all drives that reach the red zone ending in a touchdown, tied for 11th in the league.

This is much better than the 49ers, who rank in the bottom 10 with 68 percent of their drives that reach the red zone ending in a touchdown. And while their defense ranks 11th in the NFL, allowing 37.9 percent of all third-down conversions, their offense tells us a different story, with a 32.5 percent third-down conversion percentage. The third-worst in football.

The Cardinals hold a more favorable matchup over the 49ers on third down than anywhere else. And if the numbers show anything, it could spell far more time of possession for the Cardinals than the 49ers as the league’s best defense in third-down percentage allowed faces a team whose offense ranks 30th in the league in third-down conversions.

(All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference)