5 Keys to the Game for the 49ers Against the Cardinals

Here are the top five keys to the game for the 49ers when they take on the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday.

1. Keep Kyler Murray in the pocket

Murray is a decent pocket passer, but he's only 5'10", so he can't see the entire field unless he scrambles. That means the 49ers can't let him scramble. Two weeks ago against the Eagles, the 49ers wanted to make Jalen Hurts scramble out the back side of the pocket, because he isn't fast enough to turn the corner and outrun the 49ers linebackers. Murray is certainly is fast enough to do that. He's averaging 6.5 yards per carry against the 49ers in his career. They can't let him beat them with his legs.

2. Defend the zone read

The Cardinals have a good run game. They're averaging 4.7 yards per carry this season -- same as the 49ers. And the 49ers will be missing both of their starting defensive tackles, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. That means the Cardinals offensive line should get some push at the point of attack. And when they run the ball, they generally run the zone read, so the 49ers can't just flow to the football. If they do, they'll get tricked. Instead, they need to honor their assignments. One defender takes the quarterback in case he keeps the ball, and one defender takes the running back in case he takes it. As long as the 49ers are disciplined, they'll be fine.

3. Shut down Trey McBride

When these teams faced each other in Week 4, the 49ers limited McBride to just 5 receiving yards, but that was when Josh Dobbs was the Cardinals quarterback. Now with Murray on the field, McBride's production has exploded -- he's averaging 80.8 receiving yards per game, and Murray's passer rating is 103.8 when targeting him. Rookie safety Ji'Ayir Brown will match up with him. This will be the toughest matchup of Brown's career so far.

4. Hand the ball off to Jordan Mason

The playoffs are less than a month away -- don't overuse Christian McCaffrey in this game. Not against the Cardinals. The 49ers can find another way to win. And that way should involve backup running back Jordan Mason, who's fresh and underutilized. Fellow backup running back Elijah Mitchell is out with a knee injury, so there's no excuse not to use Mason.

5. Put the game in Brock Purdy's hands

The last time he faced the Cardinals, he completed 20 of 21 pass attempts. He was almost perfect. And that's because the Cardinals have no pass rush and terrible pass coverage. Everything will be available to Purdy. Trust him to carry the team to victory and treat him like an MVP.