Top 3 burning questions for Arizona Cardinals vs. 49ers
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the league’s stingiest defenses in the San Francisco 49ers and they are also facing a plethora of questions.
We are under 48 hours from kickoff between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This game will be played at high altitude, but nothing in the known universe is as high as the stakes the Cardinals are facing with their playoff hopes on the line.
Or at least mathematically. If they lose tomorrow, the Redbirds will drop to a meager 4-7 and will pretty much need to win out if they plan on playing well into January. If they win, then astonishingly, this team will be just two-and-a-half games out of first place (Seahawks hold tiebreaker).
But unlike their division rival, the Cardinals have question marks all over the place. Below, you will find the three most burning questions.
1 – Who will start at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals?
Right now, all signs point to Colt McCoy starting, and rightfully so. Given the way he ran the offense, McCoy should start for the Cardinals this week. Kyler Murray, meanwhile, has been limited, and while many analysts believe he is their best hope to beat San Francisco, I beg to differ.
Next to pulling off a remarkable comeback win in Week 2 and enjoying a fairly decent performance in Week 7, Murray has been stagnant at best. Meanwhile, McCoy was methodical in leading the Cardinals to a win last week.
2 – Will we see the Hollywood-Hopkins combo?
Just yesterday, I mentioned we could see DeAndre Hopkins team up with Marquise Brown this week. However, both remain on the mend, with Hopkins officially listed as Questionable for the game while there are no guarantees Brown plays after the Cardinals listed him as “designated to return” from injured reserve.
As it stands, I am cautiously optimistic we will see Brown line up alongside or across from Hopkins, but don’t quote me on it. As I write this, it is nearly 8 am on a Sunday morning and virtually anything is possible when 5:15 pm rolls around Monday night.
3 – Will Matt Prater reclaim his placekicking record?
Until last season, Cardinals placekicker Matt Prater held the placekicking record when he split the uprights with a 64-yard field goal as a member of the Denver Broncos. Justin Tucker was the one who broke Prater’s record against Detroit with a game-winning 66-yard field goal, but Prater now has an opportunity to take back the honors.
Related Story. Cardinals have endured musical chairs at placekicker. light
High altitude will affect a kicker’s range, and Mexico City sits nearly a half-mile above sea level higher than Denver, which gives strong-legged kickers like Prater an opportunity to perhaps be the first in league history to hit one from 70 yards out.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)
Article Source: Sicscore Injury Ticker
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