mtascavage 
The first game against a division opponent is here. Sunday’s matchup will feature your San Francisco 49ers traveling to Arizona to take on the Cardinals
It will be a very difficult matchup first because of it being on the road. Arizona is a tough place to play, and also because Head Coach Bruce Arians is one of the best in the game.
Here are the keys to the 49ers winning the game on both sides of the ball:
After a good all-around showing by the 49ers last Monday night, all signs pointed to a hard-fought game in Pittsburgh where the Niners would have a reasonable chance to put up 24 points and let their defense pound the Steelers into submission.
That scenario was not to be in this universe as the 49ers defense was virtually invisible for the entire game. Let’s start with the bad and move to the good on this review:
(UPDATE: Listen here for the 49ers Edition of The Grueling Truth Podcast with myself, former 49er Dexter Carter and special guest 49er beat writer Ryan Sakamoto)
While the media and many fans figured the San Francisco 49ers were headed for a 4-12 season, the Niners ignored everything and showed everyone that they’re not going away.
The first quarter didn’t go very well, despite a good opening drive. The blocked field goal and the Jarryd Hayne fumble definitely gave fans the feeling like maybe all the media predictions were going to end up to be true.
Nobody told Navorro Bowman and the defense. All they did was go out and completely shut Minnesota down in every way. Adrian Peterson was held to 31 yards on 10 carries. Teddy Bridgewater was under pressure much of the day and only converted one 3rd down conversion. It would be the defense that set the tone and gave the offense time to adjust and settle down.
With the tumultuous offseason officially in the rear-view mirror, 49ers fans can finally focus on the regular season. The official 53-man roster has been named, as well as the practice squad, and the depth chart is, for the most part, known.
As far as the preseason goes, there were a few things 49ers fans can take away from it, like the emergence of Jarryd Hayne in the return game (who accumulated half as many return yards this preseason than the 49ers did ALL OF LAST YEAR!), Mike Purcell, and of course, the return of Navorro Bowman.
According to Torrey Smith, the 49ers were definitely holding back on offense with the starters in the Preseason, so there is still unrest among The Faithful because the high amount of unknowns going into the regular season.
Let’s get to the preview:
49ers Football is back! As the game unfolded, there were definitely expectations for the starters and what it ultimately boils down to is, everyone who cheers for the 49ers wants to see quality football and a win.
Last Saturday’s game did not feature a high-powered offense or a stifling defense, but that was not the goal. Coach Jim Tomsula did not game plan to beat the Texans, but rather, was looking to evaluate the second and third strings.
Here are three observations or take-aways from the first preseason game: