The 1-1 Arizona Cardinals look to bounce back from a rough 31-7 loss in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.
This time they head to Santa Clara to take on another divisional rival, the San Francisco 49ers. It's a familiar foe in more ways than one, seeing as Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur has previous experience working on Kyle Shanahan's staff for seven straight seasons.
Kickoff at Levi's Stadium is slated for 1:05 p.m. MST on Sunday, September 27, and will air on FOX. Local fans can also stream on NFL+ or tune in on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
49ers injury news
The 49ers have quickly become one of the most injury-riddled teams in the league. The headliner is defensive end Nick Bosa, who is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a calf injury.
The Cardinals' offensive line struggled to buy Jacoby Brissett time against Seattle, so Bosa's absence comes at a much-needed time for them. In addition to Bosa, San Francisco has also ruled out Romello Height (hand), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), and James Thompson Jr. (ankle).
Veteran receiver and offseason addition Mike Evans (hip) is listed as questionable, though he's consistently proven throughout his career that he can suit up on Sundays without logging full practices during the week.
Cardinals injury news
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are dealing with a few injuries on defense.
Cornerback Will Johnson was placed on injured reserve after suffering a neck injury, potentially ending his season for good.
The silver lining is that they get reinforcements, with Garrett Williams on track to return from his torn Achilles.
With Johnson landing on IR, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is now the only Cardinals player officially ruled out as of Saturday. Roy Lopez (groin) and Max Melton (toe) are currently questionable.
For the second straight week, Arizona didn't elevate anyone from its practice squad. That signals not only the general health of this roster heading into Week 3 but also a positive sign for Lopez and Melton's chances to suit up.
Storylines
Can Arizona finally get Marvin Harrison Jr. involved?
Arizona's former No. 4 overall draft pick has totaled just 33 receiving yards through two weeks, struggling to find a connection with Jacoby Brissett early on.
That was easy to overlook when the Cardinals pulled off their Week 1 upset over the Los Angeles Chargers with an offense that was firing. But it quickly became a red flag when the Cardinals struggled to generate any offense the following week.
Harrison is unfortunately running out of time to shed bust labels in the Valley. At the very least, Mike LaFleur and the Cardinals need to make more of an effort to get him going with easy looks early on.
Jacoby Brissett is looking to bounce back
Arizona's recent offensive struggles haven't been entirely on Harrison, as it's hard to thrive when your quarterback fails to reach 100 yards passing.
That came after Brissett was the highest-graded quarterback in Week 1 per PFF, showing how volatile this offense has been early on.
The offensive line remains a bigger issue clouding these performances by Harrison and Brissett, but at the end of the day, the Cardinals reworked Brissett's deal to pay him as the starter for the season, and he needs to play at that level.
This could be a great opportunity to right the ship in a potential shootout against a banged-up 49ers defense.
Christian McCaffrey will be a problem
Brock Purdy continues to prove why he's one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league after leading San Francisco to a 2-0 start in which their offense has recorded 62 points.
But at its core, this offense still runs through Christian McCaffrey, who continues to make just as much of an impact on the ground as through the air.
Run CMC has eclipsed 100 yards from scrimmage in six of the past seven matchups against Arizona, and it should be more of the same three-down dominance in this contest.
The 49ers have been wisely preserving McCaffrey's carries, using third-round rookie Kaelon Black more between the tackles. The Cardinals' defensive line has been inconsistent throughout this rebuild. If they struggle to contain this duo and let McCaffrey get loose, they'll have difficulty pulling off the upset.
Prediction
The Cardinals are currently listed as 8.5-point underdogs with the game total set at 47.5, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The injuries to the 49ers' defensive front give the Cardinals a chance at pulling off their second upset of the season, depending on what version of Brissett they get in this contest.
Ultimately, the Shanahan- and Purdy-led offense is much easier to be confident in, especially since the Cardinals have repeatedly proven they have no answer for McCaffrey.
Expect Brissett and Arizona's offense to bounce back relative to their underwhelming performance against Seattle. Still, their defensive flaws will be too much to contain the 49ers at home.
49ers 30, Cardinals 23
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