In Week 5 of this season, the 49ers were run over by the Arizona Cardinals, 33-21. In that game, Arizona running back David Johnson looked like a future Hall of Famer, rushing for 157 yards and two touchdowns while also catching three passes for 28 more.
At 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, Johnson is a terrific blend of size and speed who appears headed toward greatness. In just his second season out of Northern Iowa, he leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,112 – 705 rushing and 407 receiving – and is on track for more than 2,000 yards.
So, as the 49ers prepare to take on the Cardinals in Arizona this Sunday (with kickoff set for 1:25 p.m.), the question is, how can the 1-7 49ers possibly hope for a victory against the 3-4-1 hosts if they can’t contain Johnson?
San Francisco ranks as the NFL’s worst run defense, and the 49ers have given up 100 or more yards in seven consecutive games, an NFL record.
Arizona head coach Bruce Arians this week said he believes the 49ers are improving defensively, but that’s not backed up by anything concrete. The Niners are giving up 193 yards per game on the ground and a whopping 5.3 yards per attempt. There’s every reason to believe Johnson is due for another big day.
Niners head coach Chip Kelly certainly believes it will be a challenge to contain him.
“He’s got a unique presence,” said Kelly. “You don’t see a guy with that size that has that athletic ability.”
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Meanwhile, the 49ers may again be without top running back Carlos Hyde, because of injury.
Last week, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense showed some life for the first time in a long while in a 41-23 loss to the Saints. Kaepernick threw for 398 yards and two scores while also rushing for 23 yards. He’ll need to again produce numbers like that this Sunday to give his team a chance. But it won’t matter if the 49ers can’t stop Johnson.
Veteran linebacker Michael Wilhoite said he and his teammates are working hard every week to get better and they know what they need to do Sunday.
“We know what the problems are,” he told reporters this week. “We just need to fix them.”
Oddsmakers have made the Cardinals 11½-point favorites.
