San Francisco 49ers face NFC West critical contest with Cardinals
At 2-2 and facing a litany of injuries, the San Francisco 49ers need to pull the upset against Arizona.
Two weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers were 2-0 and tied atop the NFC West. Things change quickly.
Going into Sunday’s tilt with the Arizona Cardinals, the Niners are 2-2 after tough losses against the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. Making the situation considerably more dire are the injuries to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle, with the latter being placed on the Injured Reserve list on Saturday.
Want $250 to bet on NFL Week 5?
Without Garoppolo and Kittle, San Francisco is tasked to beat the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. The 49ers will be largely relying on first-round rookie quarterback Trey Lance, who makes his first pro start against a defense featuring J.J. Watt and Chandler Jones coming off the edges.
While it’s a major ask of Lance to play perfect ball, head coach Kyle Shanahan believes the North Dakota State product can step in and showcase his talents. Whether that results in a win remains the great unknown. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN:
“I’m excited to see him play. I know he’s got the ability to do a lot of things but it’s going to be his first time out there for the whole game. I’m just pumped to see him play but I don’t go into it expecting anything. You try to prepare a guy as good as you can from our standpoint. I know he’s done his part preparing and when Sunday comes that’s usually the spot where you get to have fun and cut it loose and you live with the results.”
Read: Bears Can Get Back In Race With Win Over Raiders
For San Francisco, a loss would be damaging. The Niners would drop to 2-3 and three games back of the Cardinals with a loss already against them. Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams — who beat the Seahawks on Thursday night — would be two games in front.
Conversely, a win and suddenly San Francisco is in good position to challenge for the division. The Niners would only be a game behind the Cardinals and Rams, with three contests remaining against the duo. Going forward, San Francisco plays the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears after a Week 6 bye. This is a chance to rattle off a few weeks before a hosting Arizona and LA.
But it starts with Sunday, and a rookie making his first start in a pressure-packed affair.
