- CHARGERS VS. CARDINALS
- 2:05 p.m. Sunday
- State Farm Stadium
- Line: Cardinals +4.5 (For more details see BetMGM.com)
The three biggest things to watch for Sunday when the Cardinals play the Chargers at State Farm Stadium:
Kyler Behind Center, And He Needs To Be Better Than Herbert
Kyler Murray will be back in the starting lineup Sunday, and while Colt McCoy played solid football in his two starts, the Cardinals need Murray's home-run ability to push this offense higher. That hasn't happened as much as the Cards have wanted this season, but if Hollywood Brown can come back to pair with DeAndre Hopkins and spark the pass game, maybe this is the week. Justin Herbert is a talented QB too and has Keenan Allen back at wideout. The Cardinals are going to need to score points to win this game and Murray is at the center of that story.
A Charge In The Run Game
The Chargers have given up at least 157 rush yards in each of their last four games. The Cardinals have averaged 2.8 and 3.0 yards a carry in the last two games. Something has to give. Murray being back in the lineup should force defenses to be less focused on James Conner, and being able to lean on Conner (and maybe some Keaontay Ingram) keeps the ball from Herbert and also would soften up some things for Hopkins (and Brown?) downfield.
Budda Speaks, Does The Team Listen?
The last time Budda Baker had something to say, it ended up as a major part of "Hard Knocks" and after yelling at his teammates that he didn't want to lose at home again, the Cardinals won their next home game. This time, Baker had some things to say about his team playing hard all the way through the game. It's notable that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said after watching the video that he felt the team did play hard and the 49ers issues wasn't about effort, but it's still something to note when the emotional leader of the franchise is looking for more.
