The Arizona Cardinals will look to stay undefeated as they host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 of the NFL season. The Niners are coming off a rough choke-job of a loss against the Chicago Bears and will be looking to get back on track. Unfortunately for Colin Kaepernick and company, that will not be the case.
Even as just the third game of the season, this divisional matchup will have serious implications down the road. The 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both lost their Week 2 games, leaving Arizona in sole possession of first place, and after a win over San Francisco this week, they’ll have a huge advantage for the rest of the season. One reason why is veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
Starting quarterback Carson Palmer is listed as questionable for the game with a shoulder injury which would leave seven-year veteran Drew Stanton under center. Stanton went 14-for-29 with 167 yards in their comeback victory over the New York Giants last week and said he felt in good rhythm, but he will need the future Hall of Famer Fitzgerald to carry the load.
It’s likely that Fitzgerald will line up in the slot quite a bit in order to get a favorable matchup against rookie safety Jimmie Ward. Ward was abused by Brandon Marshall last week. Ward was defending Marshall on all three of his touchdown receptions and looked completely outclassed. Fitzgerald and teammate Michael Floyd will likely try to employ that same strategy.
Fitzgerald had six receptions for 51 yards last week after just one catch in the opener against the San Diego Chargers. This game will be a breakout one for the 10-year veteran. Stanton’s lack of experience in the offense will lead to him targeting his top guys more often, and when your top guy is Fitzgerald, the production will be there. Stanton targeted Fitzgerald 10 times last week, the most of any of his receivers. That trend will likely continue against the more aggressive defensive line of the 49ers. If Fitzgerald gets 12-15 targets, he, Stanton and the Cardinals will be leaving Week 3 undefeated.
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