SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Jim Harbaugh said Monday about the 49ers upcoming match up against the Arizona Cardinals.
Q: Did you prepare at all for the Arizona Cardinals last week?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, and it’s ongoing. We did some of it on Friday, and that continues today and tomorrow, and then the next day and the day after that.
Q: Your players have four days off in a five-day period. Did they need that time to rest and heal up?
HARBAUGH: Yes.
Q: Is it a healthy bunch?
HARBAUGH: I believe so. A lot of our guys came in and lifted and got treatment – going in that direction.
Q: What are your impressions of the Cardinals?
HARBAUGH: Very good football team. They’re playing outstanding defense. Very dangerous offensively. A team that we know. They know us. I have a lot of respect for the Cardinals.
Q: They’ve struggled to protect the passer this season. Do you see that as a golden opportunity for you guys to get pressure?
HARBAUGH: It’s a challenge and an opportunity for both teams. Both teams have the challenge of protecting their passer and the opportunity to get to the opposing passer. It’s a test of wills on both sides.
Q: Has the offensive line used the silent count much this season, and is Arizona a stadium that requires it?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, any time you’re on the road you have to be prepared to use the silent count. And yes, we have used the silent count this year.
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Expect to see lots of running by Niners & short passes ala Seattle game. On D it’s hit the sitting duck.
Our front seven should dominate this game, that o-line is just awful.
I almost feel bad for the Cardinals. I have a lot of respect for how hard they play after some of the battles the Niners have had with them over the past few years, but that O-Line is a sieve. Down to second or third string tackles, and Snyder has been struggling down there, great guy, but struggling on that O-Line down there. Either way, I hope that our D-Line can smash up that o-line this week and do some good work.
We better be ready for Mr Fittmonster catch everything you throw on my side! Arizona has a great defense, very good special teams and a wide out that can take over the game! Since its tough to score offense we must play very good coverage and limit turnovers and big plays! Go Niners
Niners will have bird for dinner again this week
This game should absolutely find out how the parts of the team that have struggled so far will play. If they can improve before the bye or will it still be a problem.
Our pass rush….. Facing one of the worst offensive lines in the game.
St…. Can they get back to last year and stop the returners from big plays. Arz has a very good St.
Qb play. We all know their defense gets to the qb an forces qb’s to think on the fly.
These will be the three issues tested the most. Should be a pretty good measuring stick for these three aspects of the team.
There are four issues MD, with the fourth being how the defense does against the run. Two straight games with a 100+ yards rushing on our D is unacceptable. Three will be a huge red flag.
Fitz is dangerous. Skelton not so much. Their running game, not at all. This is a team we SHOULD beat by 10 to 14 points.
On paper sure! Do you remember last year! If our offense can not score points and we give up a few big plays we can lose! Therefore I hope we do not underestimate this team and show up to play niner football! Go Niners
That’s why I capitalized, ‘SHOULD’.
Every season you’ll lose a couple of games you should have won, on average, and perhaps win one or two you should have lost. I hope this is not one of those weeks!
If we do, it’ll be an ugly 10-14 points and we’ll still have people here crying about it Grumpy.
Correct, which is why I’m considering opening a sideline business of hankies and jumbo packs of kleenex
Arizona – indeed – can be dangerous.
Last week, the Vikings were able to contain L. Fitzgerald, but A. Roberts went off for 103 yards on 7 receptions (14.7 yds/rec). J. Skelton was 25/36 for 262 yards, 1TD, and 1 INT. Their running game can also be tough. L. Stephens-Howling rushed for 104 on 20 carries and 1 TD.
That being said, I think the Niners will have an easy time shutting down Arizona’s running game. On passing downs, Skelton makes mistakes when pressured. I think that will be the key to this game – make Skelton uncomfortable and knock him around.
The Niners are clearly the better team, but a division game on the road is always hard to win and the Niners lost there last season.
The Card defense is very very good. They held Ponder to under a 100 yards passing last week in Minny and were in the game right to the end. They are well Coached and have a real home advantage. To win this game the Niners need to dominate up front on both sides of the ball which they should be able to do. Stay away from the big play on defense which is what cost them here last season, and keep running the ball.
This figures to be another low scoring physical game.
Their secondary and front 4 are formidable. Their LBs not so much. If we stick with the run and mix in a screen here and there that should slow down the pass rush and force the LB to make a play. We cant have missed tackles on D and allow simple completions to go for 50 yard TD. If we eliminate their big chunk plays and make them march 10-12 play drives we can limit them considerably on O