An all-NFC West matchup kicks off Week 9 of the regular season on Thursday night when the Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco has taken the NFC by storm this season, racing to a 7-0 start for the first time since Jerry Rice and Joe Montana led the franchise to win its first 10 games in 1990.
Along with the New England Patriots, the 49ers are the only team left undefeated in the NFL and it is no coincidence that the two franchises boast the best defenses in the league.
The 49ers have allowed just 224.4 total yards per game so far this year, the fewest of any team in the league and are the first team since 1977 to allow 100 or fewer net passing yards in four consecutive games.
It's a remarkable turnaround for a team that between 2014 and 2018 won just 25 games combined—the second fewest out of all 32 NFL franchises aside from the Cleveland Browns, who racked up just 18 wins over the period.
Despite their perfect start to the season, San Francisco retains its share of skeptics, who point to a relatively easy schedule and an offense that is perceived to be not as explosive as the best in the league.
While the 49ers' schedule undoubtedly gets tougher—they face Seattle, Arizona and Green Bay at home in the next three weeks before back-to-back road games in Baltimore and New Orleans—they have been comfortable so far.
Pittsburgh and Washington are the only teams to lose by less than 10 points to San Francisco this season, although the latter can very much be considered an anomaly as the game was played in a torrential downpour that made the field almost unplayable.
As for the offense, the 49ers rank third in points per game and sixth in total yards and have the second-best rushing offense in the league.
San Francisco is only 24th in terms of passing offense and Jimmy Garoppolo has been solid but not spectacular so far, largely because he hasn't had to be.
FINAL: @Teco_Raww scores 4 TDs as the @49ers dominate! #GoNiners #CARvsSF pic.twitter.com/bGH2mGHnet
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019
The 49ers have scored 80 points in the last three games and will see the trip to Arizona as a chance to extend their run before a gruelling stretch.
The Cardinals arrive into Week 9 on the back of a defeat after losing to New Orleans 31-9, the first loss after three straight wins.
At 3-4-1 and in a division containing the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams, the Cardinals are almost out of the running for the playoffs.
Arizona's offense could have a new look on Thursday, after the Cardinals added three new running backs—Alfred Morris, Zach Zenner and Kenyan Drake—in just over a week to cope with injuries that had decimated their depth chart in the position.
Drake, who arrived in Arizona from Miami in exchange for a conditional 2020 draft pick, is arguably the most intriguing signing of the three.
The 25-year-old, who will be a free agent in the offseason, was largely under-utilized in Miami and will be looking to get his career back on track.
Here's all you need to know ahead of Thursday.
When and where is the game?
The Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday, October 31.
Kick-off is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
TV coverage
The game will be nationally broadcast by the NFL Network, FOX Sports and Amazon Prime Video.
Live stream
A live stream will be available via NFL Network online and on connected devices, as well as Amazon Prime Video and FOX Sports' digital platforms.
Form
The 49ers improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1990 with a 51-13 rout of Carolina on Sunday, while the Cardinals slipped to 3-4-1 when they lost 31-9 in New Orleans.
Series record
San Francisco has a slight lead in the all-time series, winning 29 times to Arizona's 26.
The Cardinals, however, have won the past eight meetings between the two and the 49ers' last trip to Arizona ended in an 18-15 defeat in October last year.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, the 49ers are 9.5-point favorite and are 19/20 to cover the spread, while the Cardinals are 31/10 underdogs.
The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 42.5.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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