49ers facing string of tough foes
3 of next 4 lead their divisions; all QBs are topnotch
As the 49ers know, it’s a short trip from perfection to pessimism.
They blissfully sailed into Monday night’s game against Seattle as the only unbeaten team left in the NFL. Then the Seahawks exposed some of their division rival’s blemishes, most notably a sporadic offense, in handing the 49ers a 2724 overtime loss.
Now, suddenly, the road ahead seems especially treacherous. The 49ers must face Arizona on a short week after a difficult, draining, 70minute tussle with the Seahawks. Remember, the Cardinals pushed San Francisco to its limit before falling 2825 on Oct. 31.
And the schedule soon rises into another realm, with a home game against Green Bay on Nov. 24 followed by trips to Baltimore and New Orleans. All three of those teams are division leaders, with a combined 226 record. By contrast, the cumulative record of the 49ers’ first
eight opponents is 25471.
And consider the quarterbacks the 49ers will confront in their next four games, from Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers to Lamar Jackson and Drew Brees. Not a slouch in the bunch.
“We do know the types of players we have ahead,” linebacker Fred Warner said Thursday, “but we’ll worry about that when we get there.”
For now, Warner and his defensive cohorts fix their gaze on Murray — who passed for 241 yards and ran for 34 more against the 49ers on Halloween night. The Cardinals piled up 357 yards of total offense (a season high for 49ers opponents), prompting cornerback Richard Sherman to offer a disgusted review of his defense’s work.
Sherman was more encouraged by Monday night’s effort, even in defeat. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson posted an 86.9 passer rating, his secondlowest of the season; Wilson had only 155 yards passing at the end of regulation, his fewest since the final game of last season; and Seattle’s offensive output of 227 yards through four quarters was its lowest in nearly two years.
The Seahawks feasted on mistakes by the 49ers’ offense, scoring one defensive touchdown and adding TD “drives” of 16 and 24 yards after turnovers.
So, no, San Francisco’s defense really wasn’t the problem.
“We gave up some plays we shouldn’t have, where we felt like we could have gotten some stops and mitigated the situation,” Sherman said. “But, overall, when they had a long field I don’t think they were very successful, and that’s what we pride ourselves on.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan recognizes the challenge of turning around to play the Cardinals on Sunday, essentially 5½ days later. The 49ers, already wading in injuries, emerged from Monday night’s game even more banged up.
Shanahan thus adjusted his practice schedule, holding only a walkthrough session Wednesday and also scaling back Thursday. He needs his players to recover quickly before they dive back into the fray, now leading the NFC West by a half game.
Even so, the defense’s work in containing Wilson and the Seahawks provided hope for the rugged stretch ahead.
“I wish we would have been better in those sudden change opportunities,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “We had two of them inside the 20yard line (actually 25) where we’ve got to hold them to field goals and we gave up touchdowns. …
“But the resolve, the fight, the grit, all the things we believe in philosophically — that showed up play in and play out, and they kept rising to the challenge. … Now we’ve got to do it again and win a football game.”
Murray, Arizona’s dynamic rookie, presents a challenge similar to Wilson’s. They’re both adept at extending plays and turning potential sacks into sizable gains.
That’s why, as Warner put it, the 49ers need to stay disciplined in their pass rush. They need to remain constantly aware of Murray’s mobility and the problems it caused them only two weeks ago.
“We didn’t feel like we played up to our abilities in that game,” Sherman said, “so we look forward to the challenge this week.”
And the challenges will keep coming, over and over again, in the weeks ahead.