Monday Night Football Preview: 49ers vs. Cardinals

This is the kind of day Monday Night Football was made for. Board up your windows, and if you haven't lost power yet, tune to the game tonight at 8:30PM EST. Seriously, you can only watching swirling clouds on the Weather Channel for so long. Switch to some football!

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals tonight in Glendale, with NFC West supremacy on the line. The Cardinals, who started the season 4-0 but have lost three straight, can tie for first place in the division with a win tonight. The 49ers can seize control of the division with a win, after defeating Seattle last week and with St. Louis fading. Who knew that the NFC West would be vaguely competitive all of the sudden?

Who To Watch: Linebackers. The man in the image, Patrick Willis, is a fearsome All-Pro LB and teams with fellow 'backer NaVorro Bowman to form one of the best linebacking tandems in the league. The 49ers D is the best in the league in yards allowed, and is tied with Chicago for least points allowed. But the no. 3 scoring defense is the Cards, lead by linebacker Daryl Washington, who enters the game with six sacks and two forced fumbles. This should be a defensive struggle, with lots of big hits on the horizon.

Who Not To Watch: Besides Larry Fitzgerald's rapidly receding hairline? The quarterbacks. This isn't exactly Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. The 49ers Alex Smith is a serviceable QB who is the very definition of a "game manager." The Cardinals? Well, who knows who will end up finishing this one. They have a merry-go-round at QB between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, depending on who is less injured/terrible. This game will most likely be decided on the ground, rather than through the air.

The Pick: The 49ers should continue San Francisco's winning ways, after the Giants swept the World Series last night. Give it to them, 20-13.