Five to watch in 49ers-Cardinals: Nick Bosa, Kyler Murray take center stage

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The 49ers experienced an early bye week this season, but coach Kyle Shanahan has emphasized to his team that another one is coming after their game Thursday night in Arizona.

The most difficult stretch of the 49ers’ schedule awaits.

But, first, the 49ers have to take care of business against the Arizona Cardinals, a team that has beaten San Francisco in each of the last eight head-to-head meetings.

“They know how quickly you can get punched in the mouth, and Arizona is certainly capable of doing that,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said on the 49ers Insider Podcast. “We’ve got plenty of motivation.”

The 49ers (7-0) and Cardinals (3-4-1) have short turnarounds from their games Sunday. The 49ers are coming off a dominant performance in a 51-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals had their three-game win streak snapped with a 31-9 loss at the New Orleans Saints.

Here are five key players to watch, including one notable member of the Cardinals:

5. 49ers RB Tevin Coleman

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Running back Tevin Coleman became the first player in franchise history to rush for three touchdowns and catch a touchdown pass in the same game, as the 49ers trounced Carolina on Sunday. The 49ers likely will give Coleman a big workload Thursday with Matt Breida hobbled with an ankle sprain.

Coleman has bounced back nicely from an ankle sprain of his own, which sidelined him for two games earlier in the season. He has gained 332 yards with a team-best six touchdowns, including five on the ground. Coleman is averaging 4.7 yards per rushing attempt.

The 49ers' intricate running game with misdirections, motions and a lot of moving parts is a good fit for Coleman, who thrived in Shanahan’s system as a runner and receiver in his first two NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

Coleman fell into the team’s lap in free agency, and now he is showing the skills that have helped the 49ers rank No. 2 in the NFL in rushing yards.

4. 49ers CB Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman vs. Larry Fitzgerald.

It’s a matchup that has taken place regularly over much of the past decade with the best cornerback in the NFC West facing the best wide receiver in the division.

"I appreciate going against him the most," Sherman said. "He always gives great challenges. It's a great battle."

The Cardinals have not gotten much from their three rookie wide receivers, so there’s been no passing of the torch. Fitzgerald, on the shortlist of greatest pass-catchers in NFL history, still is the focal point of the Arizona offense. He leads the Cardinals with 38 receptions for 447 yards and two TDs.

Sherman is having a strong start to the season as he is another year removed from Achilles surgery. Sherman has been targeted 30 times in coverage and allowed just 16 receptions for 143 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

3. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo

There has been no reason for the 49ers to unleash the passing game this season, as the defense and ground attack have done most of the heavy lifting. But this game could provide a big opportunity for the 49ers to exploit the Cardinals’ young defensive backfield.

The 49ers have no reason to be concerned about Garoppolo, who ranks 23rd in the NFL with 1,489 passing yards through seven games. The one time the 49ers needed him to deliver, that’s what he did. In Week 3, he engineered a late touchdown drive, delivering the game-winning scoring pass to Dante Pettis in the final 75 seconds.

Garoppolo has been nearly flawless in executing the 49ers’ challenging run game. On Thursday, he could look to get the ball into the hands of newly acquired Emmanuel Sanders, who played more than any other 49ers wide receiver just five days after he was acquired from the Denver Broncos.

Garoppolo’s biggest challenge on Halloween night will be to make decisions quickly and get the ball out on time to avoid Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones, his former teammate with the New England Patriots, who ranks third in the NFL with 8.5 sacks.

[RELATED: John Lynch pleased with 49ers' roster, as key injured starters return]

2. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

On draft night, the 49ers were quite pleased when Arizona selected quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. This is the classic case of be careful what you wish for.

Now, the 49ers must face Murray twice a year for the foreseeable future.

After years of recruiting and yearning for Murray to play for him, first-year Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury finally has the quarterback he considers ideal to run his spread system. Murray has shown to be a dynamic player – with a lot to learn.

Murray is an explosive dual-threat quarterback that will try to extend plays to cash in with his arm or legs. He is very accurate with a 63.7 completion percentage. He has also thrown four interceptions and been sacked 26 times in eight games.

The questions about Murray entering the NFL draft were concerning his height and commitment to football. He measured 5-foot-11 1/8 and informed the Oakland Athletics in February that he would concentrate on football after the baseball club drafted him at No. 9 overall in 2018.

“His skill set makes him valuable in any offense,” Kingsbury said. “He wants to be great.”

1. 49ers DE Nick Bosa

In the past two days, Bosa has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week (for the second time this season), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month and NFC Defensive Player of the Month.

All eyes will be on him and his pursuit of Murray on Thursday night, as the 49ers play in front of a national television audience for the second time this season.

Bosa leads the 49ers with seven sacks in seven games. He certainly will have his opportunities to improve on those numbers, as Murray has a penchant for holding onto the ball in his quest to make big plays.

Bosa’s production has provided a spark for the 49ers’ defense, which has allowed a league-best 224.4 yards per game and 11.0 points per game, ranking second behind only New England. But Bosa should prove just as valuable to his teammates along the defensive line as he attracts more and more attention.

After all, Bosa is not alone on the 49ers’ defensive line. DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Ronald Blair and Solomon Thomas have each registered multiple sacks this season. The 49ers have not used any gimmicks to administer pressure as 26 of the team’s 27 sacks have come from the defensive line, which has enabled the secondary to thrive, too.

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