49ers Cruise To NFC West Title After Win in AZ
After a stretch of emotional wins, a trip to play a feisty Cardinals team smelt of trap game, but behind a strong running game and some interceptions the 49ers cruised to victory.
For the 2nd straight year the San Francisco 49ers are the NFC West Champs. Following a 45-29 road win (technically) over division foe Arizona Cardinals, they have clinched the West crown. In a potential trap game, the 49ers came out hot on offense and never let up, combining a stellar rushing performance with some splash plays on defense to cruise to victory.
Offense
The 49ers offense facing the Cardinals 32nd ranked defense by DVOA was every bit the mismatch it was expected to be. The unit continued it’s season long dominance with 38 points, 406 yards (7.55 Yards per Play) and another perfect 4 for 4 day in the red zone.
CMC Stakes His MVP Claim
Every week the 49ers offense has a new catalyst, a new flavor, this week it was back to a classic, MVP candidate Christian McCaffery. McCaffery had 18 CAR for 115 YDS, and a score on the ground. As is typical, a bulk of his yards came off the left side, with LT Trent Williams and TE George Kittle carving lanes where McCaffery could leverage his vision and unique ability to run with tempo.
The 49ers also involved McCaffery heavily in the passing game. He finished with 5 REC on 5 TGTs for 72 YDS and a pair of scores. In typical 49er fashion, they moved him around in a variety of spots consistently working him into favorable matchups with LBs particularly down in the red zone.
QB Brock Purdy is the odds on favorite to win the NFL MVP, but Sunday showed why McCaffery also deserves his flowers and consideration for the award. Once again putting the 49ers offense on his back enroute to another high scoring output.
Defense
The defense, unlike the offense, was not as dominant as they have been over the past month. The 49ers defense allowed 29 points on 436 YDS and allowed the Cardinals to convert 50% (10/20) of their 3rd and 4th down conversions. It wasn’t as poor a performance as it sounds given that a large amount of the yards and points (13 in the 4th) came after the game was well out of reach. The 49ers also did a good job providing negative plays, particularly on the back of Charvarius Ward who finally was able to convert his PBUs into INTs, one of which he took back for an early 1st Quarter score.
Back Up D-Line Struggles
The biggest issue for the 49ers on Sunday was the performance of their backup interior defensive line. With starters Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead out with injury, rotation players like Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens and T.Y. McGill were given the opportunity to step up. The results were quite lackluster as Arizona rushed for 234 yards on 4.8 YPC. Their 0.23 EPA/Rush and 48% Rushing Success Rate ranked 2nd and 9th respectively for all teams in Week 15.
There was no specific area or play call that the 49ers struggled against. The Cardinals were able to get yards consistently no matter what they ran. On outside runs whether it was zone or gap scheme plays like power, the 49ers DL consistently was washed down out of plays. When combined with poor angles from the 2nd and 3rd levels (more on that later), it resulted in too many chunk runs.
Arizona’s interior offensive line did a fantastic job on runs up the middle, particularly when running the “Duo” concept of not only creating displacement but climbing to the 2nd level and neutralizing San Francisco’s talented LB core.
Hargrave and Armstead are projected to return soon so the issues in the run game are not particularly vital, but for players like Givens and Kinlaw who would like to show all 32 teams, not just the 49ers, that they are worthy of a starting spot it was bit of a let down. It should also be noted that if they 49ers suffer any injuries to the IDL down the stretch they would likely need to bring in outside help to shore up their run defense.
Tackling Issues Still Remain
As mentioned earlier, the play of the defensive line was not the only reason for poor run defense. For the 3rd straight week the 49ers defense has missed 10+ tackles.
Arizona had a multitude of plays that were properly defended by the 49ers Front-4 and gained extra yardage due to a missed tackle from a LB or DB. No play encapsulates the 49ers tackling issues quite like Emeri Demercado’s 4th Quarter TD Run.
The 49ers tackling issues have yet to cost them due to their elite pass rush and ability to turn teams over, but as we saw in their early season skid when those splash plays go away, the tackling issues become much more prevalent. It is once again something to keep any eye on as they close out the stretch run of the season.
What’s Next?
Next up is arguably the biggest game to date of the NFL season. The 11-3 #1 overall seed in the AFC, Baltimore Ravens, come to town. The Ravens like the 49ers are off to a historical start to the season. Their offense is led by former MVP and current MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, who will put tons of stress on the 49ers defense to not only tackle but stay disciplined in their rush lanes. The Ravens defense is one of the strongest units in the NFL, bringing a unique style built around versatile and smart players that should test the 49ers potent offense. A potential Super Bowl preview between the two best teams in the conference is a special gift from Santa on Christmas Day.