San Francisco 49ers Here are the top five keys to the game for the 49ers when they face the Cardinals on Sunday in Arizona.1. Keep Kyler Murray in your pocket Murray is a good pocket passer, but he’s only 6-foot-4, so he can’t see the entire field unless he’s scrambling.

 

That means the 49ers can’t let him climb. Two weeks ago against the Eagles, the 49ers wanted to force Jalen Hurts out of the back of the pocket because he doesn’t have the speed to get around the corner and escape the 49ers linebackers. Murray is certainly fast enough to do that.

Against the 49ers, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry over his career. They can’t let him beat them with his legs.2. Defend the zone readThe Cardinals have a good running game.

They are averaging 4.7 yards per carry this season, the same as the 49ers. And the 49ers will miss their two starting defensive players, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead.

This means the Cardinals offensive line should see some pressure at the point of attack.

And when they run with the ball, they usually run in zone, so the 49ers can’t just rush the football. If they do, they will be deceived. Instead, they must complete their tasks.

A defender takes over from the quarterback if he keeps the ball, and a defender takes over from the running back if he takes it.

As long as the 49ers are disciplined, everything will be fine.3. Eliminate Trey McBrideWhen these teams met in Week 4, the 49ers held McBride to just 5 receiving yards, but at that point, Josh Dobbs was the Cardinals’ quarterback.

Now that Murray is on the field, McBride’s production has exploded: he’s averaging 80.8 yards per game and Murray’s passer rating is 103.8 when targeted. Rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown will follow him.

This will be the toughest match of Brown’s career thus far.4. Pass the ball to Jordan MasonThe playoffs are less than a month away – don’t overwhelm Christian McCaffrey in this game. Not against the Cardinals.

The 49ers can find another way to win. And in this way, Jordan Mason should be used as a fresh and underutilized backup player.

Elijah Mitchell, a backup running back, is out with a knee injury, so there’s no excuse not to play Mason. 5. Put the game in Brock Purdy’s handsThe last time he faced the Cardinals, he completed 20 of 21 pass attempts. It was almost perfect.

And that’s because the Cardinals have no pass rush and terrible pass coverage. Everything will be at Purdy’s disposal. Trust him to lead the team to victory and treat him like an MVP.