San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, left, and head coach Kyle Shanahan, right. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

This key adjustment could decide whether the 49ers will beat the Cardinals

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers have kept their cornerbacks on their sides so far to start the season. Deommodore Lenoir has played on the left while Renardo Green has been on the right. If San Francisco wants to beat the Arizona Cardinals, they may want to break that mold and have Lenoir follow Marvin Harrison Jr.

Will the San Francisco 49ers follow Marvin Harrison Jr. with Deommodore Lenoir?

When it comes to the Cardinals' receiving corps, it is Marvin Harrison Jr. and a bunch of other guys. Trey McBride, James Conner, and even Trey Benson are more featured in the passing game than any other wideout.

So far this season, Harrison Jr. has 98 yards, while Michael Wilson has 16, Greg Dortch has nine, and Zay Jones has four. Harrison Jr. has 10 targets, and the others have nine combined. There is one guy to focus on.

On the flip side, Renardo Green has allowed 116 yards this season, per Pro Football Focus. Lenoir has allowed just 16 yards this year. Green has allowed big plays to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rasheed Shahid, so if the Cardinals see Harrison on Green, they are going to look for a big one. Green has had his moments despite the lapses, but it may be smart to take a little off of his plate this week.

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The obvious move here would be to put Lenoir on Harrison. Green gets an easier matchup, and the team can shift its coverage and brackets towards taking away the running backs and the star tight end.

The only thing is that it will involve Lenoir moving around. Harrison has 48 snaps on the left side, 32 on the right, and 30 in the slot. Still, Lenoir played in the slot last year, and he was primarily on the right side when he played outside. He can follow Harrison wherever he goes.

They need Lenoir to hold up his end of the bargain, but this is why you pay top cornerbacks like Lenoir. If you are going to stick to playing sides and have Lenoir get phased out of the game by running wind sprints with Michael Wilson, then you are going to get outschemed and potentially struggle defensively.

If Lenoir follows Harrison and he does well, he will start to get some of the national recognition that he has been close to receiving in the past. It will be interesting to see if San Francisco thinks he is up to the task.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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