The San Francisco 49ers have gotten out to a fairly improbable 2-0 start this season. The same can be said for their Week 3 opponent, the Arizona Cardinals. The players listed below will be ones to watch as both teams look to secure not just a 3-0 record, but a key divisional win.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco
Besieged by injuries to the wide receivers group, the 49ers reunited with Bourne prior to Week 2. In his season debut, he recorded three catches for 32 yards. Most notably, he played just under half of the team’s 71 snaps, coming in for 35.
With the Cardinals cornerback group ailing to the point that as many as three players might be missing on Sunday, there’s going to be a real effort from San Francisco to air it out.
As Bourne continues to refamiliarize him with his old environs, he could make a real impact as Arizona looks to focus on Ricky Pearsall and Jajuan Jennings.
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco
After excelling at replacing George Kittle mid-game in Week 1, expectations were very high for Tonges going into Week 2. Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite deliver.
Recording four catches for 31 yards is respectable enough, but his run blocking grade of 41.8 left much to be desired. For an offense that typically relies heavily on their tight ends, Tonges will have to do well enough on running downs to stay on the field for those pass catching opportunities as well.
Isaiah Adams, OG, Arizona
After recording a respectable 58.4 grade in his rookie season, Adams has struggled to a 37.5 grade in his follow up campaign. While that hasn’t affected the Cardinals too much as they faced underwhelming pass rushes in the first two weeks, that won’t be the case in Week 3.
The San Francisco pass rush excelled to start the year, led by Nick Bosa and his 84.3 defensive grade. While quarterback Kyler Murray’s mobility masks a lot of issues for Arizona's OL, this week will be the biggest of the season.
Whether or not Adams can rebound from a shaky start will play a large part in determining if they pass or not.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona
While this may seem like an obvious pick, there’s a very specific reason to keep an eye on Harrison this week. For as good as the 49ers have been on defense this year, they’ve been vulnerable to longer gains.
After surrendering a 40 yard catch to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 1 and a 39 yarder to Rashid Shaheed in Week 2, it’s a weakness that the Cardinals will look to exploit. As their most effective wide receiver, MHJ seems primed to be the one to take advantage.