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| ARI at SF | ATL at MIN | BAL at CIN | CAR at STL | CHI at SD | DEN at BUF | DET at OAK | KC at HOU |
| MIA at WAS | NE at NYJ | NO at IND | NYG at DAL | PHI at GB | PIT at CLE | TB at SEA | TEN at JAX |
Week 1 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 17, San Francisco 49ers 20
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
The Cardinals debuted with a conservative game plan with Edgerrin James seeing lots of work. James ran the ball hard and carried the bulk of the rushing load finishing the night with 92 yards on 26 carries.
Arizona was conservative, rarely throwing the ball down the field. They focused on short to middle range passes. Leinart looked flustered by the 49ers' defensive scheme, which blitzed often, going 14 of 28 for 102 yards with two interceptions, but did manage to lead the Cardinals on a nine play, 58 yard drive late in the fourth quarter to give the Cardinals the 17-13 lead hitting WR Anquan Boldin on a seven yard crossing route for the touchdown. The longest pass completion for the Cardinals on the night was 15 yards. In total, both Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald combined stats were seven receptions and 42 yards.
On defense, the Cardinals held the 49ers offense to a total of 109 total yards on its first 11 possessions, before allowing San Francisco to drive 86 yards on 12 plays ending with a game winning one yard touchdown run by Arnaz Battle with 26 seconds to play.
| San Francisco 49ers |
The 49ers played conservatively with Alex Smith utilizing short tosses to his running backs and wide receivers. Before the game winning 86 yard drive in the fourth quarter, the 49ers offense had a total of 109 yards. Smith had a difficult time with the Cardinals aggressive defense, which blitzed often. On the night Smith was 15 for 31 for 126 yards. He also rushed the ball three times for 36 yards, including a clutch 25 yard scramble on a fourth and one on the 49ers' game winning drive to give the team a first down on the Cardinals' 20 yard line.
RB Frank Gore was held in check all night carrying the ball 18 times for only 55 yards. He had little room to run against the Cardinals' defensive front. He caught one ball for 21 yards, but dropped two other passes.
WR Arnaz Battle was the 49ers offensive star of the night hauling in five passes for 60 yards, including a clutch 22 yard reception on the game's final drive down to the Cardinals' one yard line. Battle fumbled the ball into the end zone, but it slipped through Cardinals' safety Eric Green's grasp into WR Darrell Jackson's hands. By rule, since the ball was fumbled forward into the end zone, the ball must be placed at the spot of the fumble, which was the one yard line. On the next play Smith handed off to Battle who was in motion and ran untouched around the left side to the corner of the end zone giving San Francisco the win.
What you ought to know
| QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 14 - 28 - 102 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 6 - 35 - 0 |
Leinart had a tough game and had his first pass intercepted by the 49ers. He never looked comfortable in the pocket and was hit several times by the blitzing 49er defense. At the half, he was seven for ten for only 42 yards. He did have the key play of the game winning drive when on a third and two; he scrambled 20 yards down to the San Francisco seven yard line. On the next play, he hit Anquan Boldin on a seven yard touchdown pass to give the Cardinals the lead. He rarely threw down field choosing to target short to mid-range passes.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 26 - 92 - 1, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) |
James ran hard pounding the 49ers defenders and getting many of his yards after the first hit. He finished the game with 92 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. He caught two passes for 20 yards on first and second downs. James did not figure in the Cardinals offense, though, on third and long situations and when the Cardinals went to their three and four receiver sets.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 4 - 6 - 0 |
Arrington returned kick offs for the Cardinals and came in when the Arizona offense was in third and long situations and when they were in their three or four-receiver sets. He rushed the ball four times for six yards.
| RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 1 - 14 - 0 |
Shipp came in on third and long situations only.
| RB Terrelle Smith (1 targets) |
Smith was utilized mainly as James' lead blocker and isn't a fantasy concern at this point.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 1 - 14 - 0, Rec: 4 - 22 - 1 (7 targets) |
Boldin was utilized on crossing routes mainly, but had a hard time getting open against the 49ers secondary. He finished the night with only four receptions for 22 yards. He scored in the fourth quarter, when Leinart hit him coming across the middle end zone giving the Cardinals a 17-13 lead. He had one rush for 14 yards when he lined up as the quarterback and took the snap and rushed around the right side.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (9 targets) |
Fitzgerald also had a hard time getting open against the 49ers' secondary. He ended the night with only 20 yards on three receptions; all were quickly thrown with defenders on him. Of his nine targets, two were thrown deep as he tried to stretch the field to no avail.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) |
Johnson came in when the Cardinals went to three or four receiver sets. He was targeted three times, but also had a hard time getting open.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) |
Pope caught all three balls thrown to him and he was the third or fourth option in the passing scheme.
| TE Troy Bienemann, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Caught the only pass that Leinart threw to him on the night. Also a third or fourth option in the passing scheme.
| PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points |
Rackers was perfect on the night hitting his only field goal attempt of 35 yards and converting two extra points.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Arizona rush defense held RB Frank Gore in check all night allowing him only 55 yards on 18 carries. In total, the Cardinals' rush defense allowed the 49ers only 92 yards rushing on the night. However, 25 of those yards came on an Alex Smith run on a fourth and one late in the fourth quarter to keep a San Francisco drive alive. They did give up one rushing touchdown to WR Arnaz Battle.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The Cardinals pass defense was aggressive on the night holding Alex Smith to 15 for 31 for 126 yards. They blitzed often and pressured Smith to throw early. They recorded three sacks on the night. Until the final game winning drive, Smith was nine for 21 for 66 yards. Smith went six for ten for 60 yards on the last drive of the night.
| QB Alex Smith, Pass: 15 - 31 - 126 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 36 - 0 |
Smith had a rough night except for the clutch fourth quarter, game winning drive. He struggled with his accuracy and ended the night 15 for 31 for only 126 yards. Sixty of those yards came on the game winning drive when he went six for ten for 60 yards. He rushed three times for 36 yards including a clutch fourth and one scramble for 25 yards down to the Cardinals' 20 yard line. He was sacked three times
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 18 - 55 - 1, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) |
Gore ran hard against the Cardinals defense, but found little room in the interior line. Most of his carries were up the middle, including his six yard TD run. He finished the night with 55 yards on 18 carries with the touchdown. His longest run was 12 yards. He caught one pass for 21 yards, but dropped two others that were catchable.
| RB Moran Norris, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) |
Norris had two catches for six yards, one of which came in the first quarter with the 49ers in the red zone.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1, Rec: 5 - 60 - 0 (8 targets) |
Battle was the game's leading receiver on the night with five catches for 60 yards. He figured prominently in the 49ers' final game winning drive being targeted five times during the drive alone. He made a clutch 22 yard catch down to the Cardinals' one yard line, on a third and 13, only to fumble the ball into the end zone, where it was recovered by teammate Darrell Jackson. According to NFL rules, in the last two minutes of the game, when a player fumbles into the end zone and the ball is recovered, it must be placed at the site of the fumble. On the next play, Battle, who was in motion, took a hand off from Alex Smith and ran around the left side untouched for the game winning score.
| WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (10 targets) |
Jackson was the 49ers most targeted receiver with ten targets. He saved the game winning drive when he recovered the Battle fumble in the end zone to preserve the drive. He finished the night with four receptions for 36 yards.
| WR Taylor Jacobs (1 targets) |
Jacobs came in for a couple of plays in the third quarter.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 2 - 4 - 0 (5 targets) |
In this game, Davis was not a factor in the offense recording only four yards on two catches. He just couldn't seem to get open enough to draw the attention of Smith.
| PK Joe Nedney 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points |
Nedney was perfect on the night going two for two on field goals (33 and 30 yards) and hitting his two extra points.
| SF Rush Defense |
The San Francisco rush defense allowed the Cardinals 161 yards on the night, with James getting 92 of them. Rookie linebacker, Patrick Willis was a force in the middle recording nine tackles and two assists and forcing one fumble.
| SF Pass Defense |
The San Francisco pass defense was aggressive all night long pestering Leinart into a sub-par performance going 102 yards on 28 attempts and two interceptions. The defensive backs kept the Arizona three top receivers in check all night long allowing Fitzgerald, Boldin and Bryant a total of 54 yards on eight catches. The longest pass completion on the night was 15 yards.
