After a dominant performance from the San Francisco 49ers defensive line against the Patriots, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are presenting the 49ers with different problems at every level of defense. The goal is to keep Murray in check, but the running game with Murray and James Conner will create conflict and test the 49ers' discipline.

Arizona's defensive line is hurting and their secondary has been torched on a regular basis. Let’s look at all three defensive groups for Arizona and San Francisco.

Defensive line

RE LJ Collier – 5 presses, two QB hits, three rushing, 5.6% pass rush win rate

EDGE Dennis Gardeck – 6 pressures, three sacks, 1 QB hit, two hurries, 12.5% ​​pass rush win rate

NT Roy Lopez – 5 pressures, one sack, four hurries, 10.2% pass rush win rate

EDGE Zaven Collins – 4 pressures, one sack, three hurries, 9.1% pass rush win rate

LE Bilal Nichols – 1 pressure, one QB hit, 3.7% pass rush win rate

EDGE Nick Bosa – 19 pressures, three sacks, 4 QB hits, 12 hurries, 16.9%

EDGE Leonard Floyd – 11 pressures, two sacks, three QB hits, six hurries, 7.7%

DI Maliek Collins – 10 pressures, three sacks, one QB hit, six hurries, 17.6%

DI Yetur Gross-Matos – 5 presses, one QB hit, four hurries, 10.4%

The Cardinals and 49ers are missing key defensive linemen with Javon Hargrave and Justin Jones out for the season. Arizona's defense is set up as a 5-2-4 defense with one down lineman and utilizes Collins in a variety of ways.

Against the Patriots, the 49ers had a season-high blitz rate and consistently got home. Arizona's offensive line is better than New England's, but the preference goes to the 49ers' defensive line over Arizona's.

Edge: 49ers

Linebackers

Kyzir White – 21 tackles, 14 assists, five defensive stops, 13 receptions allowed on 16 targets

Mack Wilson Sr. – 14 tackles, nine assists, eight defensive stops, five receptions allowed on seven targets

Fred Warner – 20 tackles, eight assists, 14 defensive stops, four receptions allowed on nine targets

De'Vondre Campbell – 13 tackles, nine assists, seven defensive stops, 17 receptions allowed on 20 targets

Warner is playing like the Defensive Player of the Year but is dealing with an ankle injury. Aside from constantly turning the football over, Warner is everywhere on the field and is the best linebacker in football. That alone gives the 49ers a lead despite Campbell's four-week struggles. The 49ers need Dre Greenlaw back.

The Cardinals' pass defense is at the bottom of the league, and the linebacker group hasn't done well in coverage in space. Both have combined for eight missed tackles.

EDGE: 49ers

Secondary

CB Starling Thomas V – 8 receptions allowed on 13 targets, 85 yards, two touchdowns allowed

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – 10 receptions allowed on 11 targets, 99 yards

S Budda Baker – 9 receptions allowed on 11 targets, 100 yards

S Jalen Thompson – 11 receptions allowed on 11 targets, 128 yards, one touchdown allowed

CB Charvarius Ward – 10 receptions allowed on 19 targets, 131 yards, one touchdown allowed

CB Deommodore Lenoir – 13 receptions allowed on 21 targets, 108 yards

S Ji'Ayir Brown – 6 receptions allowed on nine targets, 67 yards, one touchdown allowed

S Talanoa Hufanga – 0 receptions allowed on zero targets (one game played)

The 49ers' defense hasn't impressed over the last four weeks, and part of that is the secondary. After an All-Pro season, Mooney Ward has not performed at the level expected. For four weeks, Lenoir was the best coverage corner, both inside and outside. According to PFF, Brown was not charged for Justin Jefferson's long touchdown in Week 2, and Malik Mustapha filled in for the injured Hufanga, who has a chance to play on Sunday.

The Cardinals pass defense was porous to say the least. Brandon Aiyuk will return to action on Sunday and the 49ers' passing game will continue against the Cardinals' secondary. The 49ers secondary needs to improve overall, but still has the edge over Arizona.

Edge: 49ers