49ers-Cardinals Preview: 5 Biggest Questions With Cardinals Beat Writer

The San Francisco 49ers will look to add another win to reach 3-0 when they host their NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals, in Week 3.

To help me gain insight into the Cardinals for a smooth preview of this matchup, I brought on Cardinals On SI beat writer Donnie Druin to tackle the five biggest questions surrounding Arizona.

1) What’s been a positive surprise with the Cardinals so far?

Six out of eight total quarters played have relatively been a win for the Cardinals. Arizona played perhaps their best game of complementary football in some time in Week 1 before taking the defending Super Bowl champs to a draw out of halftime. Obviously, the final two quarters of Week 2 went sideways, though when you take a step back and look at the big picture, most of the football played has warranted reason to believe things could be trending in the right direction under first-year coach Mike LaFleur.

2) Marvin Harrison Jr. has been going through the motions. What’s the issue with him and Arizona?

Harrison, through two weeks, has largely been an afterthought in Arizona's offense. The Cardinals will insist he's doing a fine job and it's simply a combination of defensive attention and game-plan as to why he's had just one reception. However, his body language and obviously loud storylines around the team suggest there may be deeper problems. The two sides obviously aren't on the same page — will they get there in 2026? If LaFleur (Harrison's second offensive coordinator) can't get the most out of the former No. 4 pick, perhaps his time is running thin.

3) Jeremiyah Love hasn’t really been featured despite being a top pick in the NFL Draft. How much of a threat will he be against the Niners?

That entirely depends on LaFleur. Love's proven to be a viable weapon, though the Cardinals still insist on making the third overall pick share duties with fellow running back Tyler Allgeier. LaFleur's been adamant he won't back down from a split backfield, though Love's ability to impact the game through both the run and pass should eventually lead to more touches down the line when he proves too good to keep off the field. Will that come this week against San Francisco? All signs point to no.

4) The 49ers will assuredly scheme for Trey McBride, especially with Fred Warner around. What’s the key to avoiding him being limited or silenced?

McBride is one of the few talents in the NFL that can be fed targets and make an impact regardless of the sort of attention he commands. Against San Francisco, he's recorded at least five receptions in his last five meetings with touchdowns in the last three matchups. If I'm the Cardinals, I'm looking at utilizing McBride with quick screen passes to get going early on top of identifying opportunities to get him in single coverage — even if it means trying Fred Warner.

5) Arizona’s defense has been uninspiring, especially rushing the passer. Now, they face the 49ers, who haven’t allowed a sack on Brock Purdy. Is it safe to say he’ll have a comfortable day?

That just might be accurate, unless Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis suddenly ramps up the aggressiveness and sends the house at San Francisco. Arizona's pass rush has largely been underwhelming, and after not making any upgrades over the offseason, that again appears to be the case for 2026. Perhaps Josh Sweat and Walter Nolen III piece things together, and especially with a banged-up secondary, the Cardinals are staring down a long day against a highly potent 49ers offense.

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz and his YouTube channel to interact with him on the 49ers and more.

Add us as a preferred source on Google