San Francisco 49ers' Jim Tomsula not concerned about job security

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The best way to deal with job insecurity, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Tomsula believes, is just not to think about it.

Simply focus on the next game.

And the best way to get rid of job insecurity?

Make sure that next game is better than the previous one.

For the second week in a row, Tomsula's coaching tenure gets a bit of a measuring stick when the 49ers square off with the Arizona Cardinals in a rematch.

Last week's rematch with the Seattle Seahawks was a mixed bag for the first-year coach.

On one hand, the 49ers were a lot more entertaining in their 29-13 loss at Seattle than they were in a 20-3 snoozer at home four weeks earlier.

Tomsula's quarterback change from Colin Kaepernick to Blaine Gabbert appears to have been a wise one.

However, the defensive effort against Seattle, arguably the team's worst of the season, raised questions about some players losing interest in a lost season.

That defense will get an opportunity to make amends Sunday in the rematch with the Cardinals, who swamped the 49ers 47-7 on Sept. 27.

It was such a blowout that another decent effort by Gabbert and at least some defensive improvement would make Tomsula look good by comparison, even if the 49ers were to lose by two touchdowns.

After all, the goal is to improve, right?

Still, another loss for the 3-7 club would equal the number of defeats that got last year's coach fired. And there is still another month to go.

Is Tomsula concerned?

"No," he insisted Wednesday. "We're in a performance-based business, and all of us in it get it. So I don't think or work that way. Just keep my long-term goal is Sunday. It's just where I stay."

SERIES HISTORY: 49th regular-season meeting. 49ers lead, 29-19. The 49ers and Cardinals split last year's two-game series, each winning at home. The season-ending, 20-17 win last year was San Francisco's sixth straight victory at home over the Cardinals, a stretch in which the 49ers scored at least 20 points each time. The Cardinals won the first meeting this season 47-7 on Sept. 27, the margin of victory being the biggest ever in the series.

GAME PLAN:

--First things first: Don't throw two touchdowns to the other team in the first six minutes of the game as Colin Kaepernick did in the 49ers' visit to Arizona earlier this season. In fact, the 49ers might consider not throwing at all early in the game against a Cardinals defense that has given up four rushing touchdowns in the past two games.

The 49ers got burned by running back Chris Johnson (22 carries, 110 yards, two touchdowns) and wideout Larry Fitzgerald (nine catches, 134 yards, two touchdowns) in the Week 3 meeting. While shutting them both down might be asking a lot, San Francisco would be best advised to focus on Fitzgerald as Johnson, twice given up upon in his career, could be showing signs of being a 30-year-old back in the 11th game of his eighth season.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--49ers running back Shaun Draughn vs. Cardinals run defense.

The 49ers were able to grind out a 17-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons in their last home game. Draughn got 96 yards on 20 touches in that game, and he could find even more running room against an Arizona defense that has given up a total of 63 points in its past two games.

--49ers run defense vs. Cardinals running back Chris Johnson.

The 49ers made Seattle Seahawks reserve Thomas Rawls look like a superstar last week when he rolled up 209 rushing yards. It wasn't the first time the San Francisco defense got run over this season. Three other backs -- including Johnson in Week 3 -- topped 100 yards against them. Johnson's 110-yard effort included two touchdowns.

--49ers pass defense vs. Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

The 49ers appear to catch a bit of a break with Fitzgerald's sidekick, Michael Floyd, injured and likely out of Sunday's game. That should allow them to focus more resources on Fitzgerald, which they likely will need. He burned them for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the earlier meeting, becoming the first of five wideouts to top 100 receiving yards against San Francisco this season.