Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals shocked the NFL with their improbable run to the Super Bowl last year, and they won the NFC West thanks to a 6-0 record in the division in 2008.
Thus if the San Francisco 49ers are the surprise team this season, as some expect, they need to come out and make a division statement on Sunday in the desert. However, Arizona is a 6-point WagerWeb.com favorite.
There is one very big injury to be aware of in this game – to Cards star WR Anquan Boldin. The Pro Bowler is listed as questionable after missing the final two preseason games with a hamstring injury. He was limited again in practice Friday and will be a game-time decision.
“It’s improving every day,” Boldin said of his right-hamstring injury.
If Boldin can’t go, the Cardinals will likely face the 49ers with WR Steve Breaston opposite Larry Fitzgerald. Breaston practiced all week and is listed as probable for Sunday’s game.
Speaking of Cardinals WRs, think Larry Fitzgerald is nervous for this game? Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu were the cover boys for the 2010 Madden NFL video game. Polamalu was injured in the Steelers’ opener, further adding fuel to the fire that is the “Madden curse.”
Last year, Fitzgerald caught just 11 passes against the 49ers in two games but did score two touchdowns. Kurt Warner is 9-1 against the 49ers. In those 10 games, he’s thrown for 3,197 yards with 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Niners tried to lure him to the Bay area in the offseason.
Arizona lost its offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, to the Chiefs in the offseason and fired defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. So perhaps it wasn’t too surprising the Cards were 0-4 in the preseason.
As for the Niners, they ended last season on a roll, winning four of their final five games under QB Shaun Hill, who won the No. 1 job in camp over Alex Smith. So Hill will enter the season as a starter for the first time in his seven-year career. But San Francisco is turning to a run-first offense this year featuring Frank Gore. The Cards had some trouble stopping the run during the 2008 regular season.
The Cardinals have won six of the past eight meetings overall, including last year’s sweep. In the final meeting last year, Warner threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and the Cardinals got a goal-line stand as time expired to defeat the visiting 49ers, 29-24.
INJURY REPORT
49ERS: OUT: LB Ahmad Brooks (knee), WR Brandon Jones (shoulder). CARDINALS: QUESTIONABLE: WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring), WR Early Doucet (ribs), QB Brian St. Pierre (back). PROBABLE: WR Steve Breaston (knee), WR Sean Morey (ribs), S Matt Ware (shoulder).
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