49ers Webzone News and Updates 49ers Webzone is your San Francisco 49ers online resource featuring up to date news, commentary and the largest 49ers fan community on the web. en-us https://www.49erswebzone.com Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:45:00 PDT Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:45:00 PDT 49ers reuniting with former second-round pick Dante Pettis https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203742-49ers-reunite-former-second-round-pettis/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:45:00 PDT 2026-09-29T16:01:19-07:00 David Bonilla 227d811cf2072618b5e058c4b8fa25bd nine players who worked out for the team on Tuesday, and the receiver is expected to join the practice squad.


The 49ers are bringing Pettis back as they look to bolster the depth of their receiving corps, which has thinned due to injuries. They have already lost Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Demarcus Robinson.

Even the team's biggest free-agency addition, veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, is dealing with a rib issue.

The 49ers selected Pettis in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Washington. After spending three seasons with San Francisco, he went on to play for the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints.

During the 2025 season with the Saints, Pettis appeared in eight games, recording nine receptions for 127 yards and averaging 14.1 yards per catch. His most recent receiving touchdown came in 2024 with New Orleans.

Over seven NFL seasons, Pettis has appeared in 66 games, including 19 starts. He has recorded 92 receptions for 1,231 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with three rushing attempts for 35 yards.

Pettis has also contributed on special teams throughout his career. He has returned 51 punts for 373 yards and 19 kickoffs for 465 yards.]]> Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports 49ers work out Dante Pettis, Brenden Rice, 7 others and release D-lineman https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203737-players-including-pettis-practice-player/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:01:00 PDT 2026-09-29T14:08:22-07:00 David Bonilla 6888d970deaa355e734d06fec0969cd8
It remains unclear whether the 49ers plan to sign any of the players ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Denver Broncos or are simply evaluating potential options in case of further roster setbacks.

Players worked out:
  • DB Corey Ballentine
  • WR Brady Boyd
  • DB Cobee Bryant
  • WR Dante Pettis
  • WR Brenden Rice
  • WR Quentin Skinner
  • QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
  • WR Malik Turner
  • DB Sam Webb

The 49ers selected Pettis in the second round of the 2018 draft. He has since played for the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints. Turner has also spent time with the team, while Rice is the son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice.

Additionally, San Francisco released defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr., who has been on the practice squad since September 1.

The 49ers' players have Tuesday off but will return to the practice field Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. San Francisco will host Denver at Levi's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the 49ers looking to remain atop the NFC West standings and improve to 4-0.]]> Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports 49ers named as trade fit for Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203734-49ers-named-trade-jaguars-thomas/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:41:50 PDT 2026-09-29T10:41:50-07:00 David Bonilla e38de295e4361df389fe4d18233889b9
The 49ers are dealing with injuries at several positions, an issue that has become a recurring theme. Wide receiver is among the position groups dealing with thinning depth.

San Francisco's receiving corps has already lost Ricky Pearsall, De'Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, and Christian Kirk, although Kirk could return soon. Stribling and Robinson are expected back later in the season.

Even the team's biggest free-agency addition, veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, is dealing with a rib issue that will be evaluated throughout the week.

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay named the 49ers among five potential landing spots for Thomas, suggesting that a change of scenery and an opportunity to play in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense could help the receiver regain his rookie form.

"A trade could be mutually beneficial: The Niners could use another impact wideout, while Thomas could benefit from a fresh start in a more receiver-friendly offense," Kay wrote.

Kay argued that the 49ers should be aggressive in addressing their receiver depth through the trade market.

Thomas (6-2, 209) has already shown that he can be a productive offensive playmaker. As a rookie, he caught 87 passes for 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. His production dipped in 2025, when he recorded 48 receptions for 707 yards and three total touchdowns, including one rushing score.

This season, Thomas has caught seven passes for 88 yards, averaging a career-low 12.6 yards per reception.

"Taking Thomas off Jacksonville's hands may be risky, but it's also a high-reward maneuver that could pay dividends if the receiver eventually shines in Shanahan's offense," Kay added.

"It might take some time for Thomas to get brought up to speed in the system and build rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, but the potential payoff of having another legitimate No. 1-caliber wideout in the fold come playoff time is worth the cost."

Kay also identified the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential trade fits for Thomas.]]> Corey Perrine-Imagn Images 49ers' George Kittle on Mike Evans injury: 'Fractured ribs suck' https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203732-49ers-george-kittle-injury-fractured/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:15:47 PDT 2026-09-29T10:15:47-07:00 David Bonilla 0c6ccb39513f0074f0ddaf954a77d3fd saying Evans sustained a rib injury and would be evaluated throughout the week.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be long-term," Shanahan said on Monday. "We've got to see how it goes throughout the week. Guys have been in this position before, so we'll see how it goes."

Shanahan's comments suggest that Evans could play this weekend against the Denver Broncos.

When asked whether Evans had fractured a rib, Shanahan wasn't willing to reveal anything more, simply responding, "That's about as much as I know. Just rib."

Shanahan is notorious for revealing only what's necessary, and clearly didn't feel the need to share more insight into Evans' setback.

Tight end George Kittle, however, may have provided more insight into the severity of Evans' injury during an interview with Bay Area radio station KNBR, suggesting that the wide receiver did, in fact, suffer a fractured rib.

"Fractured ribs suck," Kittle said. "Hey, Mike's a stud. He'll do what's best for him and what's best for the team. We're not worried about it."

NFL insider Ian Rapoport previously reported that Evans was dealing with a "rib strain," suggesting the injury involved only the muscles rather than the rib bone itself. Rapoport added that the receiver is considered day-to-day.

Kittle's comments suggest otherwise, though it's unclear whether the tight end misspoke or has additional information about the injury that Shanahan was unwilling to disclose.

In three games this season, his first with the 49ers after 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evans has caught 12 passes for 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns.]]> Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images 49ers reportedly work out veteran CB Sam Webb https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203731-49ers-reportedly-work-veteran-webb/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:47:26 PDT 2026-09-29T09:47:26-07:00 David Bonilla 409fc96ec3da4716688700fb47f16237

Webb entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 out of Missouri Western State. During his NFL career, he has appeared in games for the Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns.

Interestingly, Webb spent part of the offseason with the 49ers' next opponent. He signed with the Denver Broncos on July 30 before being released on August 8.

Webb then signed with the New York Giants but spent only three days with the team before being placed on the reserve/retired list.

During the 2025 season with the Browns, Webb appeared in seven games, including two starts. He recorded eight tackles, one pass defensed, and returned a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown.

Over four NFL seasons, Webb has appeared in 36 games and made five starts. He has totaled 45 tackles and four passes defensed during his career.]]> Kirby Lee-Imagn Images 49ers in Week 4 power rankings: 'Those Brock Purdy MVP murmurs are legitimate' https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203728-49ers-power-rankings-murmurs-legitimate/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:45:00 PDT 2026-09-29T08:45:00-07:00 David Bonilla 3a35430debab6837694735ee884c0d8d 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals and enter Week 4 atop the NFC West standings.

The offense has been highly effective, scoring 98 points through the first three games, second-most in the NFL behind the Buffalo Bills (101). Quarterback Brock Purdy has been impressive, completing a career-high 72.3% of his passes for 789 yards, nine touchdowns, one interception, and a 133.1 passer rating.

The 49ers defense has allowed 50 points this season, with only two teams—the Jacksonville Jaguars (36) and Minnesota Vikings (41)—allowing fewer.

San Francisco will look to build on its undefeated start when it hosts the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium in Week 4.

How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the NFL? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands across various outlets. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.

The Athletic
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 1
"Niners fans have been trying to tell us for a long time Brock Purdy is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Frankly, they've been obnoxious about it at times. Even worse? They're right. Purdy has nine touchdowns and just one interception and is third in the league in yards per completion (13.2) and off-target percentage (4.8). Purdy has won 10 of his last 12 starts, with the only two losses coming to the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff

NFL.com
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Ranking: 7
"It's fair to wonder if a softer schedule over the last two weeks has aided the 49ers, and if their litany of injuries will be too much to overcome against better opponents. As of now, though, San Francisco boasts an offense that has cruise control set five miles per hour over the speed limit and is rolling along down the fast lane. Collectively, this team is strong enough to take care of business on a weekly basis. Oh, and those Brock Purdy MVP murmurs are legitimate, too." — Nick Shook

Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
"49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan might be a sorcerer. It seemingly doesn't matter how many players get hurt in San Francisco. The team just keeps winning. Sunday against the Redbirds, the Niners ended the game short their best edge-rusher in Nick Bosa and watched top wideout Mike Evans get carted off the field with a rib injury. Actually, while Shanahan deserves a ton of credit for coaching up his guys, we need to give Brock Purdy his flowers as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Purdy continued his stellar start to the season—297 passing yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating north of 130. 'Mr. Irrelevant' is anything but. Per ESPN, Purdy tied Steve Young's 49ers team record for most touchdown passes in the first three games of a season. The Niners haven't scored this many points in their first three games since 1998. With Young and some guy named Jerry Rice." — Gary Davenport

CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
"Brock Purdy for MVP. Sounds crazy? Look at his numbers. He's playing out of his mind." — Pete Prisco

ESPN
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
"Fantasy surprise: TE George Kittle. Under normal circumstances, it would not be a surprise to see Kittle as the TE4 in fantasy. But given that he tore his right Achilles on Jan. 11 and missed all of training camp, that he returned in Week 1 close to his usual self is a testament to his passion for the game. And the Niners have needed every bit of his production to help weather the storm of injuries elsewhere. Kittle ranks fifth among all tight ends in receiving yards (174), 11th in receptions (12) and tied for first in touchdowns (three)." — Nick Wagoner

FOX Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
"Their defense had an alarmingly soft stretch in the second half on Sunday, but their Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey-led attack is clicking on all cylinders. And when that happens, this team looks like the best team in the NFC. Losing WR Mike Evans to a rib injury could hurt, but Deebo Samuel should be able to step into a bigger role. And they have a whole mess of injuries on defense, including a big one to DE Nick Bosa. Nobody has been better in recent years at getting production out of his backups than head coach Kyle Shanahan, though. He'll have to work that old magic quickly, though, with the Broncos and Seahawks coming up next." — Ralph Vacchiano

Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Ranking: 3
"The 49ers move up but the injuries are alarming. They lost defensive end Nick Bosa in practice during the week and then receiver Mike Evans and offensive tackle Trent Williams during the game, though it sounds like neither one of those injuries is serious. The 49ers won't get to play the Dolphins and Cardinals every week. Or maybe everything will be just fine if Brock Purdy avoids the 49ers' weird injury bug. Purdy is playing excellent football, leading the NFL with nine touchdown passes and a sparkling 133.1 passer rating. It's a remarkable run he's on and the main reason the 49ers are 3-0 and second in the power rankings." — Frank Schwab

Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 5
"They're dropping like flies but still winning every week." — Mike Florio

Sporting News
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 3
"The 49ers are managing a different slew of injuries (what else is new), but Brock Purdy remains locked into the offense with plenty of help from George Kittle and Chrsitian McCaffrey. The defense will need to keep overachieving minus Nick Bosa." — Vinnie Iyer

USA Today
Current Ranking: 4
Previous Ranking: 3
"At 3-0, they have a case of their own to be No. 1, though they had a lot more trouble handling Arizona than Seattle did. The bigger issue is the latest wave of injuries washing over the Niners, wideout an extreme area of concern − especially if WR Mike Evans' rib issue lingers into Week 4." — Nate Davis

Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 4
"A convincing win over the Cardinals was bittersweet as it exposed what seems to be the redline of San Francisco's depth. Like last year, there is only so far this team can go without its best players—or even enough players. Still, Brock Purdy with an early throw-of-the-year candidate." — Conor Orr]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Kyle Shanahan shares 49ers' D-line plan for this week https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203718-kyle-shanahan-opens-49ers-d-line/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:26:00 PDT 2026-09-28T16:34:55-07:00 David Bonilla f6e6b4a2fa933a3e6843a7a1e26314fb
On Monday, the 49ers signed veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon to the practice squad. He worked out for the team over the weekend, but the coaching staff will use this week to get a clearer picture of where the 34-year-old stands.

"I know we had a workout with him over the weekend, so just to really get him in with the group on Wednesday, see where he's at," head coach Kyle Shanahan said during a conference call on Monday. "Starting him out in individual drills, just seeing the type of shape and stuff he's in, what he can learn in the scheme."

Injuries have thinned the 49ers' defensive front. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins (patellar tendon) is out for the season, while defensive end Sam Okuayinonu will miss significant time as he recovers from a broken foot.

Defensive tackles James Thompson Jr. (ankle) and C.J. West (knee) are also expected to miss multiple weeks. The 49ers were also without rookie defensive end Romello Height in Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals after he underwent hand surgery last week.

"Obviously, with our situation, hopefully, we'll get him (Judon) caught up here real fast, and hopefully, he'll be an option to help us," Shanahan added.

Judon won't be the only defensive lineman the 49ers evaluate this week. The team plans to open second-year defensive end Mykel Williams' practice window on Wednesday. However, he cannot be activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list until after the Week 4 matchup against the Denver Broncos, potentially allowing Judon to contribute sooner.

Against the Cardinals, the 49ers' defensive front featured several less experienced players. Still, Shanahan was proud of how the unit performed despite missing so many key pieces.

"By no means was it perfect, but I was real proud of how they played," Shanahan said. "They really competed their asses off. They were running to the ball, working real hard. I thought they did a good job throughout the game."

Shanahan acknowledged that the defensive linemen were worn down as the game progressed, and rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton dealing with cramps didn't help.

"But we were able to change up our fronts throughout the game," Shanahan added. "We asked a lot of them, and considering the circumstances for them, I thought it was a real successful game for them."

Judon has recorded 72 sacks during his career. However, his most recent sack came in 2024 with the Atlanta Falcons, when he finished the season with 5.5 sacks.]]> Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images 49ers injury news: Updates on Mike Evans, Trent Williams, others from Kyle Shanahan https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203712-injury-updates-williams-others-shanahan/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:26:00 PDT 2026-09-28T14:28:34-07:00 David Bonilla 5affc904167b3cddf96aae4119c1363f 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He provided several injury updates following the game.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that wide receiver Mike Evans is considered day-to-day after suffering a rib injury against the Cardinals. That's significantly better news than initially anticipated.

Shanahan confirmed the report, saying Evans could play in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos. The head coach added that the injury is not considered a long-term issue.

"We'll have to evaluate him throughout the week," Shanahan said.

He added, "It shouldn't be long-term. We've got to see how it goes throughout the week. Guys have been in this position before, so we'll see how it goes."

Evans suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's game. He was slow to get off the field after a play and appeared visibly uncomfortable. The 49ers eventually carted Evans to the locker room for further evaluation.

Shanahan didn't provide specifics on the injury, though. When asked whether the rib was broken, the coach simply said Evans "has a rib issue."

The good news is it sounds like the 49ers' veteran receiver avoided a serious setback.

Trent Williams injury update


There was more positive news on the injury front, as Trent Williams did not suffer a serious setback against the Cardinals. The veteran left tackle suffered a neck stinger in the third quarter and did not return to the game.

"Trent Williams, stinger and neck, should be good to go by Thursday," Shanahan said. "We've just got to keep evaluating him."

49ers opening Mykel Williams' practice window this week


The 49ers plan to open the practice window for defensive end Mykel Williams on Wednesday. He started the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which required him to miss at least the first four games of the season.

Williams suffered an ACL injury last season. The second-year defensive lineman will be eligible to return in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, the 49ers are likely to be cautious with his return.

Other 49ers injury updates


Linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered a quad contusion.

"We'll have to manage him throughout the week also," Shanahan said of Greenlaw.

Rookie defensive end Romello Height, who underwent hand surgery last week, is expected to return to practice this week.

As expected, defensive end Nick Bosa will not play against the Broncos. He missed Sunday's game against the Cardinals and is expected to miss additional time after suffering a calf injury ahead of practice last week. The 49ers considered placing Bosa on injured reserve but ultimately decided against it.

Rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. also missed Sunday's game after suffering a high-ankle sprain. As expected, he will not play against the Broncos.]]> Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images 49ers injury update: WR Mike Evans is considered day-to-day, says Ian Rapoport https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203709-injury-update-considered-day-to-day-rapoport/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:32:54 PDT 2026-09-28T13:32:54-07:00 David Bonilla 94895abef20f27d57a8ebce371545523

Evans suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. The wide receiver was slow to get off the field after a play and appeared visibly uncomfortable. He made his way to the sideline, where he was evaluated before being carted to the locker room for further examination.

Evans finished the game with three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown on six targets. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 36-30, improving to 3-0 on the season.

The veteran wide receiver is in his 13th NFL season and has recorded 12 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns through three games this season.]]> Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images 49ers officially announce Matthew Judon signing https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203708-49ers-officially-announce-matthew-signing/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:20:00 PDT 2026-09-28T13:25:20-07:00 Site Staff dd3c144cf5575465f6f6376fe48050c1 Matthew Judon to the team's practice squad. The move was first reported on Sunday.

"With all of the injuries piling up over there, I think I can just come in and help until some of them guys get back," Judon said during a podcast interview.

The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown.


Judon (6-3, 265) was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Throughout his 10-year NFL career with the Ravens (2016-20), New England Patriots (2021-23), Atlanta Falcons (2024), Miami Dolphins (2025) and Buffalo Bills (2025), Judon has appeared in 145 games (100 starts) and registered 423 tackles, 72.0 sacks, 20 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception (returned for a touchdown), earning four Pro Bowl honors (2020-23). He has also appeared in five postseason contests (three starts) and totaled 14 tackles, 1.0 sack and one forced fumble.

A 34-year-old native of West Bloomfield, MI, Judon attended Grand Valley State University for six seasons (2010-15), where he appeared in 42 games (32 starts) and registered 204 tackles, 35.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception.]]> Brett Davis-Imagn Images 49ers' Kyle Shanahan makes strong comparison for Brock Purdy https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203705-49ers-shanahan-makes-strong-comparison/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:07:20 PDT 2026-09-28T10:07:20-07:00 David Bonilla 223d5de25599e729ede306c93d3b9137
Purdy has completed a career-high 72.3% of his passes, is tied with Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins for the NFL lead with nine passing touchdowns, and has thrown just one interception. His 133.1 passer rating also leads the NFL.

Most importantly, Purdy has been instrumental in helping the 49ers remain undefeated. San Francisco improved to 3-0 this past weekend with a 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals and now sits alone atop the NFC West standings as the division's only unbeaten team.

After Sunday's game, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about his level of confidence in Purdy and whether he has ever been this comfortable with a quarterback.

"Yes, I had that with former NFL MVP QB Matt Ryan in '16," Shanahan said. "Had it in former NFL QB Matt Schaub way back in the day. And I've had it with Brock, I think, four years in a row now."

Shanahan stressed that he has been comfortable with Purdy since the quarterback's early NFL days. After all, the former last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft quickly showed his talent after taking over as a rookie starter.

"I'm very comfortable with Brock throwing the ball, and I feel like I've always been with him," Shanahan said.

NFL Media writer Kevin Patra highlighted Purdy's impressive start to the season.

"Purdy is on an MVP tear through three games," Patra wrote. "The QB has been laser-accurate, always finding the right target and rarely making unforced errors. He threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers in Sunday's win over the Cardinals. It marked the 14th career game with a 130+ passer rating, the most by any player before turning 27 in NFL history, surpassing Lamar Jackson, per NFL Research. His 14 career games with a 130+ passer rating are tied for second-most in 49ers history with Hall of Famer Joe Montana, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve Young (22).

"Purdy's ability to hit his targets in stride sets up extra yards. His TD pass to Mike Evans was the latest 'How on earth did he drop that into the tiniest window?' throw from the 49ers QB this season."

Purdy is leading the NFL in several metrics. When asked if any quarterback is playing better than Purdy at this point in the season, Shanahan acknowledged that he hasn't closely followed the rest of the league. Still, his answer offered a strong endorsement of Purdy.

"I'd be surprised, but I don't study the other quarterbacks right now, so I don't really know what anyone else is doing, except for the guys that we go against," Shanahan said. "I don't get to see any of that, but I think it's really hard to play much better than he's playing right now."

Shanahan is so confident in Purdy that he admits he doesn't have to spend much time critiquing the quarterback's play during a game.

"He's very good at doing his job extremely consistently," Shanahan said. "That's why I don't watch him much. I watch the coverages and where the ball's going to go, and he gets it there 90% of the time. If he didn't, it's usually because something happened that he couldn't avoid.

"And then, I look back and sometimes see when that happens, and he's running around making a play, and it doesn't even matter that it didn't work out because he makes an off-schedule or moves the chains with his legs."

With injuries mounting, the 49ers will need Purdy to continue playing at a high level if they hope to maintain their lead in the NFC West.]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images 49ers vs. Cardinals PFF grades: Best and worst from the game, plus snap counts https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203702-49ers-cardinals-grades-worst-counts/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:14:00 PDT 2026-09-28T09:14:00-07:00 David Bonilla 3c27e66e88150acc1dc6ab36c4f763c1 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Pro Football Focus released its grades and snap counts from the game, providing a closer look at which 49ers players stood out and who has more work to do.

Highest-graded 49ers: Offense


  • Jordan Watkins, WR, 86.3, 15 snaps
  • George Kittle, TE, 84.2, 46 snaps
  • Mike Evans, WR, 80.9, 18 snaps
  • Brock Purdy, QB, 78.8, 54 snaps
  • Luke Farrell, TE, 74.2, 18 snaps

Highest-graded 49ers: Defense


  • Dre Greenlaw, LB, 85.9, 61 snaps
  • Fred Warner, LB, 76.0, 86 snaps
  • Sebastian Valdez, DT, 75.0, 31 snaps
  • Deommodore Lenoir, CB, 74.0, 71 snaps
  • Kevin Givens, DT, 70.7, 21 snaps

Lowest-graded 49ers: Offense


  • Vederian Lowe, LT, 35.4, 22 snaps
  • Jacob Cowing, WR, 52.7, 17 snaps
  • KhaDarel Hodge, WR, 56.5, 30 snaps
  • Brayden Willis, TE, 60.0, 2 snaps
  • Kyle Juszczyk, FB, 61.3, 30 snaps

Lowest-graded 49ers: Defense


  • Jaden Dugger, LB, 36.6, 33 snaps
  • Osa Odighizuwa, DT, 43.4, 71 snaps
  • Naquan Jones, DT, 44.9, 17 snaps
  • Jack Jones, CB, 47.5, 28 snaps
  • Malik Mustapha, FS, 52.1, 18 snaps

Highest-graded Cardinals


  • Elijah Higgins, TE, 87.1, 35 snaps
  • Zaven Collins, ROLB, 84.6, 23 snaps
  • Paris Johnson Jr., LT, 81.3, 86 snaps
  • Jacoby Brissett, QB, 80.1, 86 snaps
  • Jeremiyah Love, RB, 76.2, 55 snaps

Quarterback play


Brock Purdy finished the game 15-of-27 for 297 yards and four touchdowns, earning a 133.8 passer rating. His 78.8 offensive grade was the fourth-highest among the 49ers' offensive players and fifth-highest overall among his teammates. He earned a 71.2 passing grade.

However, Jacoby Brissett was the highest-graded quarterback in the game, earning an 80.1 offensive grade and a 76.6 passing grade. He finished 38-of-52 for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and a 98.2 passer rating.

Highest marks


Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was the game's highest-graded defensive player, earning an 85.9 defensive grade. He finished with eight tackles.

Wide receiver Jordan Watkins was the 49ers' highest-graded overall player, earning an 86.3 offensive grade. However, he played only 15 offensive snaps.

Watkins was edged out by Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins for the game's highest overall grade. Higgins earned an 87.1 offensive grade.

Blocking


Left tackle Trent Williams earned a 70.5 offensive grade, the highest among 49ers offensive linemen. He allowed two pressures, including a hit and a hurry, on 21 pass-blocking snaps.

Center Jake Brendel earned an 84.0 pass-blocking grade, the highest of the game. He did not allow a pressure on 32 pass-blocking snaps.

Right tackle Colton McKivitz was the 49ers offensive lineman with the highest run-blocking grade, earning a 72.7 mark in that category.

Meanwhile, tight end Luke Farrell earned the game's highest run-blocking grade at 87.3.

Left tackle Vederian Lowe filled in for Williams after the starter exited with a stinger. Lowe finished as the game's lowest-graded offensive lineman, earning a 35.4 offensive grade.

Lowe also earned an 8.8 pass-blocking grade, the lowest of the game. His 48.8 run-blocking grade was the lowest on the team.

In total, the 49ers surrendered six pressures, with five charged to the offensive line.

Pressures allowed among O-line:
  • LG Connor Colby, LT Trent Williams — 2 each
  • RG Dominick Puni — 1

Other 49ers pressures allowed:
  • RB Christian McCaffrey — 1

Pass catchers


Tight end George Kittle earned the game's highest receiving grade at 90.2. He finished with a team-high 82 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

Among the game's wide receivers, Jordan Watkins earned the highest grade at 83.2.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk was targeted twice but didn't catch either, earning the game's lowest receiving grade at 49.4.

The 49ers' pass catchers recorded no drops.

Rushing


Quarterback Brock Purdy earned the game's highest run grade for the third consecutive week, posting an 83.4 mark in that category. He finished with two carries for 34 yards.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel earned the game's lowest run grade at 56.6. He finished with 14 yards on two carries.

Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love earned the highest run grade among the game's running backs at 75.6. He finished with 90 rushing yards on 21 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

Christian McCaffrey was the second-highest-graded running back, earning a 64.4 grade. He finished with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, averaging five yards a carry.

Pass rush


Defensive tackle Kevin Givens was the game's highest-graded pass rusher, finishing with two pressures, a hit, and a hurry while earning an 84.0 pass-rush grade.

Pass rushers Keion White and Ogbo Okoronkwo recorded the game's only sacks (one each). White finished with a 57.3 pass-rush grade, while Okoronkwo earned a 58.7 grade.

Defensive end Khalid Kareem earned a 50.7 pass-rush grade, the lowest among his 49ers teammates.

Pressures by 49ers defenders:
  • DE Keion White — 3
  • DT Kevin Givens, DE Khalid Kareem — 2 each
  • LB Dre Greenlaw, DE Viliami Fehoko Jr., DT Osa Odighizuwa, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, LB Fred Warner — 1 each

Run defense


Linebacker Fred Warner earned the highest run-defense grade of the game: 83.5. He tallied a game-high seven stops. The players with the next-most stops recorded three each: 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Cardinals linebacker Jack Gibbens.

Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa posted the lowest run-defense grade among 49ers defenders at 45.4.

Pass defense


Linebacker Dre Greenlaw earned an 88.1 coverage grade, the highest among 49ers defenders. He allowed four catches for seven yards on five targets.

Linebacker Jaden Dugger earned a 32.8 coverage grade, the lowest among 49ers defenders. He allowed three receptions for 25 yards on three targets.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir had the highest coverage grade among 49ers defensive backs, earning a 71.1 mark. He allowed five catches for 26 yards on seven targets.

Tackling


Cornerback Renardo Green earned an 84.5 tackle grade, the highest among his teammates. He finished with 13 tackles, second only to linebacker Fred Warner's game-high and career-high 17 tackles.

Defensive end Viliami Fehoko Jr. earned a game-low 24.2 tackle grade.

Missed tackles by 49ers defenders:
  • LB Jaden Dugger, LB Dre Greenlaw, DE Viliami Fehoko Jr., DT Osa Odighizuwa, CB Upton Stout, LB Fred Warner, DE Keion White — 1 each

49ers Week 3 snap counts


Offense
54 - Brock Purdy (QB), Colton McKivitz (RT), Connor Colby (LG), Dominick Puni (RG), Jake Brendel (C)
46 - George Kittle (TE)
45 - Christian McCaffrey (RB)
41 - Deebo Samuel (WR)
32 - Trent Williams (LT)
30 - KhaDarel Hodge (WR), Kyle Juszczyk (FB)
22 - Vederian Lowe (LT)
18 - Luke Farrell (TE), Mike Evans (WR)
17 - Jacob Cowing (WR)
15 - Jordan Watkins (WR)
8 - Kaelon Black (RB)
2 - Brayden Willis (TE)

Defense
86 - Fred Warner (LB)
82 - Ji'Ayir Brown (FS)
77 - Renardo Green (CB)
72 - Marques Sigle (FS)
71 - Deommodore Lenoir (CB), Osa Odighizuwa (DT)
61 - Dre Greenlaw (LB)
60 - Keion White (DE)
54 - Khalid Kareem (DE), Upton Stout (CB)
48 - Ogbo Okoronkwo (DE)
33 - Jaden Dugger (LB)
31 - Sebastian Valdez (DT)
29 - Gracen Halton (DT)
28 - Jack Jones (CB)
21 - Garret Wallow (LB), Kevin Givens (DT)
18 - Malik Mustapha (FS)
17 - Naquan Jones (DT)
12 - Viliami Fehoko Jr. (DE)

Special Teams
25 - Ashtyn Davis, Brayden Willis, Luke Gifford
24 - Garret Wallow, Luke Farrell, Siran Neal
20 - Jaden Dugger
13 - Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle
12 - Eddy Pineiro (K)
9 - Corliss Waitman (P), Jon Weeks (LS), Jordan James, KhaDarel Hodge
8 - Fred Warner
7 - Deebo Samuel, Keion White, Osa Odighizuwa
6 - Carver Willis, Colton McKivitz, Connor Colby, Dominick Puni, Jarrett Patterson, Ji'Ayir Brown, Sebastian Valdez, Vederian Lowe
5 - Deommodore Lenoir, Jacob Cowing
4 - Khalid Kareem
3 - Gracen Halton, Jack Jones, Kevin Givens, Kyle Juszczyk
2 - Upton Stout
1 - Christian McCaffrey, Dre Greenlaw, Jordan Watkins, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Renardo Green]]> Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images 49ers Notebook: A look at the final touchdown; Brock Purdy's highlight incompletion; Sackless through three https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203698-notebook-touchdown-highlight-incompletion-sackless/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:26:00 PDT 2026-09-27T22:03:32-07:00 Kirk Larrabee 59992fae9400166e25acf963daf69f2b
The 49ers held a 23-6 lead over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday but had to hold them off in the end for a 36-30 win, which was a somewhat different experience than the 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 and the 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins last week. But even though it was more tense for fans, perhaps Sunday's game was more indicative of what 49ers games will be like the rest of the way.

"I think the last two weeks we got, not comfortable, but like that's not truly NFL ball where you have your starters sitting out in the fourth quarter, right?" linebacker Fred Warner said Sunday. "I mean, that's great. That's the goal, right? You want to be able to dominate teams, but that's the NFL. You know, it's always close."

The 49ers needed a few clutch plays at the end on offense to hold off the Cardinals, including a touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to tight end George Kittle with less than two minutes to play that gave the 49ers a 36-27 lead. We'll take a look at that play in this version of 49ers Notebook, as well as the play just beforehand that could have given Purdy the decisive touchdown instead. Plus we'll dive into some other odds and ends, including an incomplete pass to remember and a key stat that shows the success the 49ers have had on offense this season. Let's get into it...

Down the stretch


The Cardinals and 49ers went back and forth throughout the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, first with the Cardinals cutting the lead to 23-20 after getting a short field when they recovered a punt that went off the foot of 49ers defensive back Siran Neal. The 49ers answered with a touchdown of their own to stretch the lead to 29-20, but kicker Eddy Pineiro missed the point-after attempt, keeping the Cardinals within nine points. The Cardinals scored another touchdown to trim the lead to 29-27 with just under three minutes to play.

The Cardinals just needed to force a punt to give themselves a chance at a game-winning drive, but the 49ers didn't let that happen. The 49ers started their decisive drive at their own 35-yard line and got across midfield with an 11-yard catch and 12-yard run by running back Christian McCaffrey, and then they were pushed back to the Cardinals' 45-yard line when McCaffrey was stopped for a three-yard loss. But on the next play, Purdy broke free for a 45-yard run for a touchdown, or so it seemed.


The touchdown was overturned due to a holding penalty on George Kittle that took place right before Purdy reached the end zone. The penalty placed the ball on the 20-yard line, and after a run for no gain by McCaffrey, Kittle got his number called and hauled in a 20-yard completion for a touchdown and a 36-27 lead.


After the game, Kittle and Purdy walked reporters through the sequence of plays that included Kittle's touchdown and the penalty that negated what would have been a highlight play for Purdy. Purdy told reporters he took off running after nothing opened up in the passing game, and with Kittle's help, he got into the end zone.

"Obviously a passing down for us, and I just went through my progression on the right side," Purdy said. "Sort of felt like nothing really declared really quick, so got my eyes to the backside, and felt a hole. And I was like, 'All right, I'm going to take this and try to get as much as we got.' And then sure enough, George was down there blocking, and it just turned out to be a good scramble moment. So, that's all that took place, really."

Officials thought Kittle helped a bit too much, which Kittle carefully disagreed with.

"I'm not going to argue with anything on that," Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area after the game. "Refs make calls. I disagree with it, but it is what it is."

Kittle's frustration turned to joy two plays later when he made his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. He saw it coming based on how things were lined up on previous plays.

"I was so excited when they called that play because the way they've been running downhill this whole drive because they've been doing six on the line," Kittle said. "I was like, 'I'm going to be uncovered here.' And I was uncovered."

The safe decision for Kittle to make would have been to avoid running into the end zone, which would have led to the 49ers being able to run out the clock to win the game. But he wasn't told to avoid a touchdown, so he ran the ball in when he caught it.

"Probably should have just gone out of bounds. We could have kneeled it out," Kittle said. "But no one told me to, so that's their fault, not mine."

The "no one" Kittle referred to is head coach Kyle Shanahan, who admitted afterward he forgot to give instructions to run out the clock.

"That's on me," Shanahan said. "I didn't remind him in the huddle. I don't expect him to be paying attention to the clock ... but I definitely wish I did the play before that."

The Cardinals were able to add a field goal after the touchdown and attempt an onside kick, which was recovered by the 49ers. Those final opportunities could have been negated if the 49ers didn't give the ball back to the Cardinals, but things worked out in the end.

"it was all about getting a first down, running out the clock," Purdy said. "But in that moment, if we had an opportunity to score to make it a two-score game, we've got to do it. Sure enough, I thought it was a great play call. Obviously, just they're trying to stop the run and everything, and then for us to boot out and have George wide open was really cool. But again, that's stuff that we do talk about as a team where if we're in a situation to milk the clock and get a first down, don't want to score, those are things that he tells us ahead of time. But in this moment, it was like, 'Let's go up two scores if they present it to us, and if not, let's continue to chip away, get first downs, and run out the clock that way.'"

Incomplete pass of the year


Maybe one of the most memorable moments in Sunday's game was one that didn't count on the stat sheet.

It came in the first quarter when Purdy escaped the Cardinals' rush by running towards the sidelines, then jumped in the air right before going out of bounds and threw the ball downfield to tight end Luke Farrell. Farrell caught the ball but was ruled out of bounds on the play.


Fans in Levi's Stadium gasped and cheered upon seeing the replay, which made it seem like Farrell may have actually gotten both feet in bounds. But the pass was ruled incomplete, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan decided not to challenge the call.

We'll never know how officials would have reacted had the catch gone to replay, but the pass will forever go into the record books as being incomplete. Still, it was another dazzling moment for Purdy, who has a habit of trying to make such plays.

"That doesn't even shock me anymore with him because he's always trying to keep the play alive and make the right play," guard Dominick Puni said. "And it was the right play. It was a perfect ball, a perfect catch, just the out-of-bounds line was too close to us. But Brock, he's such a baller, and Luke for almost catching it and almost keeping it in, it's a special bond they've got."

Clean pockets


Purdy finished Sunday's game with 297 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-27 passing. He now stands at 789 passing yards through three games with nine touchdowns and one interception on 60-of-83 passing.

And there's another stat surrounding Purdy's start that the 49ers love to see, which is zero sacks allowed. Purdy gave credit all around on Sunday for that number, which has certainly helped him get off to a torrid start to the season.

"That's everybody," Purdy said. "Obviously, the play calling, the boys up front, the receivers being on top of making sure they're running the right routes and getting the ball out on time and stuff on our end at quarterback. So, it's a unit thing. It takes everybody.

"Obviously it starts with the boys up front too, though. They're playing their butt off right now. Like I've said before, they've all played with each other for a while. They understand all their different rules and passing things off and they're playing really hard right now. So, proud of those guys. But, obviously it's early in the season and we've got to turn the page and learn from this game and get ready for next week."

The offensive line had to finish the game Sunday without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who left the game with a shoulder stinger. They'll be challenged next Sunday against the Denver Broncos with or without Williams, who gave some credit to Purdy for the offensive line's performance so far.

"(There's) some good, some things we can clean up," Williams told reporters Sunday. "It'd be hard to give you a fair assessment without watching the film from this past game. But I think our quarterback makes it easy on us to protect him. He gets the ball out. So that process is going pretty good. Obviously, we can do better here and there, but it's all going pretty good. It's not where we want to be, but we're heading that way."

Not-so-steady Eddy


Eddy Pineiro has been almost automatic since the team added him last season, but on Sunday he was shakier than usual.

Pineiro came through at the end of the first half with a 57-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 17-6, but he missed two consecutive extra points in the second half. Had the Cardinals been able to force a punt with the 49ers up 29-27 late in the fourth quarter, they would have been able to take the win with a field goal instead of the touchdown they would have needed if Pineiro made those extra points.

Pineiro was well on his way toward possibly getting a game ball from Kyle Shanahan after his long field goal, but the missed PATs changed the head coach's mind.

"I thought that (57)-yard field goal he made at the end of the second quarter was one of the biggest kicks I've seen," Shanahan said. "I mean, for us to get down there and have a chance to kick it that far with whatever we had—I think there was 20 seconds maybe on the clock, maybe 17 when he started. I mean, that was such a big-time kick. And then, especially for us to open it in the third quarter and have a chance to lap them, which we did. I was going to probably give him a game ball or something, but he ruined that with the two extra points missed."]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images 49ers stand alone atop NFC West standings after Week 3 https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203695-49ers-stand-alone-atop-standings/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 20:59:00 PDT 2026-09-27T21:09:45-07:00 David Bonilla 1599f15f1657ad89de0d6bc04ebc9c6f San Francisco defeated the Arizona Cardinals 36-30 in a thriller at Levi's Stadium on Sunday afternoon, improving to 3-0 on the season.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals fell to 1-2.

The 49ers were the only NFC West team to emerge from Week 3 with a win. The Washington Commanders handed the Seattle Seahawks their first loss of the season, beating the reigning Super Bowl champions 33-31 at Northwest Stadium and dropping them to 2-1.

On Sunday night, the Denver Broncos beat the visiting Los Angeles Rams 30-26 at Empower Field at Mile High, dropping the Rams to 1-2.

Next up for the 49ers: a Week 4 matchup against the Broncos at Levi's Stadium. The Rams will continue their road trip against the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Seahawks will host the winless Los Angeles Chargers. The Cardinals will travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants.

NFC West standings

  • San Francisco 49ers: 3-0
  • Seattle Seahawks: 2-1
  • Los Angeles Rams: 1-2
  • Arizona Cardinals: 1-2
]]> Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Key 49ers stats and milestones from thrilling 36-30 Week 3 win over Cardinals https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203692-49ers-stats-milestones-thrilling-cardinals/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:47:00 PDT 2026-09-27T19:47:00-07:00 Site Staff d9a2c302e551fb76370d7b455bb8ac86
Below are several statistics and notes from Sunday's game, which were provided by the 49ers Communications staff.


With The Win...


  • The San Francisco 49ers have improved to 39-31 all-time against the Arizona Cardinals, including a 22-15 record at home.
  • The 49ers have won seven of the previous 10 matchups against the Cardinals, including four of the last five matchups at home.
  • The 49ers have started the season 3-0 for the fourth time since 2019 (2019, 2023 & 2025) and for the first time in consecutive seasons since the 1989-90 seasons.
  • Head coach Kyle Shanahan improved 10-9 against Cardinals and 30-26 against the NFC West as head coach of the 49ers.

Coaching Milestone


  • Today's game marks head coach Kyle Shanahan's 166th game as head coach of the 49ers (regular season & postseason).
  • He ties HOF head coach Bill Walsh for the most games coached in franchise history.

MOST GAMES COACHED (REGULAR SEASON & POSTSEASON), FRANCHISE HISTORY


Rank Coach Games Seasons
1t. Kyle Shanahan 166 2017-Present
Bill Walsh 166 1979-88
3. George Seifert 143 1989-96
4. Dick Nolan 117 1968-75
5. Lawrence "Buck" Shaw 116 1946-54

49ers Offense


  • The 49ers offense allowed 0.0 sacks for the 3rd-consecutive game 0.0 sacks allowed at LAR (9/10/26); 0.0 sacks allowed vs. Mia. (9/20/26) , marking the most consecutive games the unit has not allowed a sack to begin a season in franchise history (sacks became an official statistic in 1982).
  • With 0.0 sacks allowed through the first 3 games of the season, the 49ers became the first team to start a season with 3-consecutive games allowing 0.0 sacks since the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014 0.0 sacks allowed at Bal. (9/7/14); 0.0 sacks vs. Atl. (9/14/14); 0.0 sacks allowed vs. Ten. (9/21/14) , according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
  • It also marks the first time the team has gone any stretch of 3-consecutive games without allowing a sack since the 1979 season 0.0 sacks allowed vs. Atl. (10/21/79); 0.0 sacks allowed vs. Chi. (10/28/79); 0.0 sacks allowed at Oak. (11/4/79) , according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

QB Brock Purdy


  • QB Brock Purdy completed 15 of his 27 passing atts. for a season-high 297 yds. and 4 TDs, including a career-long 82-yd. TD pass, with a passer rating of 133.8 and added 2 carries for 34 yds. the ground. His 4 passing TDs mark a season high and give him 9 this season and 93 in his career.
  • With 4 TD passes on the day, Purdy registered his 2nd game this season with 3-or-more TD passes 3 TD passes at LAR (9/10/26) and the 15th such game of his career, which surpasses former QB Jeff Garcia for the 5th-most games with 3-or-more TD passes in franchise history.

MOST GAMES WITH 3-OR-MORE TD PASSES, FRANCHISE HISTORY


Rank Player Games
1. QB Joe Montana 38
2. QB Steve Young 36
3. QB John Brodie 25
4. QB Frankie Albert 17
5. QB Brock Purdy 15

  • Purdy's 4 TD passes on the day marked the most he has thrown in a game since throwing 5 TD passes at Ind. (12/22/25).
  • With 3 TD passes at LAR (9/10/26), 2 TD passes vs. Mia. (9/20/26) and 4 TD passes on the day, Purdy has registered 9 TD passes through the first 3 weeks of the season. His 9 TD passes surpass former QB Frankie Albert (8 TD passes in 1948) and HOF QB Steve Young (8 TD passes in 1995) for the most TD passes through the first 3 weeks of a season in franchise history.

RB Christian McCaffrey


  • RB Christian McCaffrey registered 15 carries for a season-high 75 yds. and 1 TD on the ground to go along with 4 recepts. for 41 yds. through the air. His rushing TD marked his 3rd of the season and 65 in his career.
  • With 2 rushing TDs last week vs. Mia. (9/20/26) and 1 rushing TD on the day, McCaffrey has registered 1-or-more rushing TDs in back-to-back games for the 7th time in his career and the first time since doing so in the 2025 season 1 rushing TD at TB (10/12/25); 2 rushing TDs vs. Atl. (10/19/25) .
  • With 116 yds. from scrimmage, McCaffrey registered his 70th career game with 100-or-more yds. from scrimmage and his 33rd such game as a member of the 49ers. His 70 games with 100-or-more yds. from scrimmage are tied for the most among active NFL RBs (RB Derrick Henry, Bal. – 70).
  • Of those 70 games with 100-or-more yds. from scrimmage, 33 have been with the 49ers. His 33 such games are the 4th-most by any player in franchise history (WR Jerry Rice – 70; RB Frank Gore – 66; RB Roger Craig – 50).

TE George Kittle


  • TE George Kittle caught 6 passes for a team-high 82 yds. and 2 TDs on the day. His 2 TD recepts. marked his 3rd of the season and 55 in his career.
  • Kittle's 55 career TD recepts. tie him with former TE Vernon Davis for the 4th-most TD recepts. in franchise history.

MOST TD RECEPTS., FRANCHISE HISTORY


Rank Player TD Recepts.
1. WR Jerry Rice 176
2. WR Terrell Owens 81
3. WR Gene Washington 59
4t. TE George Kittle 55
TE Vernon Davis 55

  • With 1 TD recept. last week vs. Mia. (9/20/26) and 2 TD recepts. on the day, Kittle has registered back-to-back games with 1-or-more TD recepts. for the 7th time in his career and for the first time since doing so in the 2025 season 1 TD recept. vs. Ten. (9/20/26); 1 TD recept. at Ind. (12/22/25) .
  • With 2 TD recepts. on the day, Kittle has registered 2-or-more TD recepts. in a game for the 9th time in his career and for the first time since registering 2 TD recepts. at Arz. (11/16/25).

WR Deebo Samuel


  • WR Deebo Samuel Sr. registered an 80-yd. TD on the day, giving him 2 rec. TDs on the season and 29 in his career.
  • Samuel Sr.'s 80-yd. rec. TD marked the longest TD of his career. It also marked the longest rec. TD by a 49ers player since TE George Kittle caught an 85-yd. TD recept. vs. Den. (12/9/18).
  • Samuel Sr.'s 80-yd. rec. TD also marked the longest TD by the 49ers since former RB Raheem Mostert registered an 80-yd. rushing TD at NYJ (9/20/20).
  • With 0 recepts. and 80 rec. yds., Samuel Sr. registered the most rec. yds. in a game without a recept. in NFL history.

MOST REC. YDS. WITHOUT A RECEPT. IN A SINGLE GAME, NFL HISTORY


Rank Player Rec. Yds. Game
1. WR Deebo Samuel Sr., SF 80 vs. Arz. (9/27/26)
2. WR Timmy Brown, Phi. 65 at Pit. (12/3/61)
3. WR Ron Dixon, NYG 62 at Phi. (12/30/01)

WR Mike Evans


  • WR Mike Evans caught 3 passes for 34 yds., including a 23-yd. TD recept. on the day. His TD recept. marked his 2nd of the season and give him 110 in his career.
  • With 1 TD recept. on the day, Evans became the 8th WR in NFL history to record at least 110 TD recepts. in a career.

WRs WITH 110-OR-MORE TD RECEPTS. IN A CAREER, NFL HISTORY


Player TD Recepts. Seasons
Jerry Rice, SF/Oak./Sea. 197 1985-2004
Randy Moss, Min./Oak./NE/Ten./SF 156 1998-2012
Terrell Owens, SF/Phi./Dal./Buf./Cin. 153 1996-2010
Cris Carter, Phi./Min./Mia. 130 1987-2002
Marvin Harrison, Ind. 128 1996-2008
Larry Fitzgerald, Arz. 121 2004-20
Davante Adams, GB/LV/NYJ/LAR 117 2014-Present
Mike Evans, TB/SF 110 2014-Present

WR Jordan Watkins


  • WR Jordan Watkins registered 2 recepts. for a career-high 60 yds., including a career-long 34-yd. recept.

DL Ogbo Okoronkwo


  • DL Ogbo Okoronkwo registered 1 tackle and 1.0 sack of Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett on the day. His sack marked his first of the season and 18.0 in his career.
  • His sack of Brissett also marked his first since the 2024 season as a member of the Cleveland Browns 1.0 sack at NO (11/17/24) .

DL Keion White


  • DL Keion White registered 3 tackles and 1.0 sack of Brissett on the day. His sack gives him a team-high 2.0 this season and 9.5 in his career.
  • With 1.0 sack last week vs. Mia. (9/20/26) and 1.0 sack on the day, White has registered 1.0-or-more sacks in back-to-back games for the 2nd time in his career and for the first time since 2024 when he was a member of the New England Patriots 2.5 sacks at Cin. (9/8/24); 1.5 sacks vs. Sea. (9/15/24) .

LB Fred Warner


  • LB Fred Warner registered a career-high 17 tackles on the day.
  • Warner's 17 tackles on the day are the most by a 49ers player since former LB Chris Borland tallied 17 tackles at NO (11/9/14).

CB Renardo Green


  • CB Renardo Green registered a career-high 13 tackles on the day.

K Eddy Piñeiro


  • K Eddy Piñeiro converted on his lone FGA (57), marking the 2nd-longest FGM of his career 59-yd. FGM at LAR (10/2/25) .
  • Piñeiro's 57-yd. FGM marked his 8th FGM from 50-or-more yds. as a member of the 49ers. His 8 FGMs from 50-or-more yds. are the 5th-most by a player in franchise history.

MOST FGM FROM 50-OR-MORE YDS., FRANCHISE HISTORY


Rank Player FGM
1. K Phil Dawson 14
2. K Robbie Gould 13
3. K Joe Nedney 10
4. K David Akers 9
5. K Eddy Piñeiro 8

  • Piñeiro has converted on 8 of his 10 FGAs from 50-or-more yds. as a member of the 49ers. His 80.0% FG percentage from 50-or-more yds. is the highest in franchise history (min. 5 atts.).

HIGHEST FG PERCENTAGE FROM 50-OR-MORE YDS., FRANCHISE HISTORY (MIN 5 ATTS.)


Rank Player FG%
1. K Eddy Piñeiro 80.0
2. K Phil Dawson 70.0
3. K Robbie Gould 65.0
4. K David Akers 60.0
5. K Joe Nedney 58.8
]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images WR Jordan Watkins delivers in his biggest opportunity yet for 49ers https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203691-jordan-watkins-delivers-biggest-opportunity/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:46:00 PDT 2026-09-27T19:51:22-07:00 Kirk Larrabee f832ff3fbbbedb434ad712c9f88aed20
And when his chances came, he delivered.

Watkins joined the 49ers as a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after catching 185 passes for 2,682 yards and seven touchdowns over the course of five college seasons at the University of Louisville and Ole Miss. But he played in only four games as a rookie, catching two passes for 26 yards, and then was inactive for the first two games of the 2026 season.

With the 49ers down a number of players due to injury at wide receiver, Watkins was active in the 49ers' third game of the season, a 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He delivered two key catches for 60 yards, both of which helped lead to points in a game where yet another receiver came up injured when veteran Mike Evans left the game with a rib injury.

Watkins' first catch came on a 3rd-and-12 late in the first quarter. The catch went for 26 yards and kept a drive alive that ended in a 49ers touchdown and a 14-0 lead.


The second catch came right before halftime. The 49ers held a 14-6 lead after a Cardinals field goal, and with 17 seconds on the clock, it was safe to assume they wouldn't add any additional points before the second quarter came to an end. But Watkins got open for a 34-yard catch, which set up a field goal to give the 49ers a 17-6 lead as time expired in the half.


Those plays surely added to the trust the 49ers have in Watkins, who could be called upon to do more in the near future due to the injuries to Evans and Demarcus Robinson, who was recently placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.

"I was really pumped for Watkins," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win. "That was such a big seam route that he ran on third down. You know, and it almost looked like he was going to break those tackles and score. I thought he looked real impressive on it. And then at the end of the second quarter, he was the reason we got three points there on that 59-yard field goal right before the half."

Watkins told reporters Sunday that he was not content with just being inactive on game days and approached Shanahan to find out what he could do to play. Shanahan gave him the chance he was waiting for on Sunday, and he made the most of it.

"I'm a competitor at heart. I'm always going to compete," Watkins said. "To be on the sidelines in sweats, to me that's not being able to compete and help my brothers win football games. So I just went up to Kyle and I asked him straight up, 'What can I do to get on the field? What can I do to be active?' because I just want to play ball at the end of the day. I'm a football player. He kind of just let me know what it was. Maybe it was a special teams thing, it wasn't really a receiver thing. And I think he said that earlier in the week. To have him have that trust in me to go out and make some plays today, it was great."

Watkins earned some praise from his teammates Sunday, who have watched him work throughout the year during offseason workouts and in the preseason. Running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle told reporters Watkins deserved his opportunities after doing what he needed to do in recent months.

"He's great, man. He's been great," McCaffrey said. "He's another guy who when his number's called, he just shows up. He'll be a guy that'll continue to get better, continue to help us. He's got great speed, great hands, runs great routes. On this team, especially in this offense, you get to learn from guys like Mike Evans. You get to learn from guys like (Demarcus Robinson) who have played so many games. When the young guys get to be in a room like that, it's such an advantage for them because when their number is called, they can step up and make plays like he did."

Kittle said, "I love Jordan Watkins ... He practices his tail off. He didn't get a lot of ops last year. And for him to be consistently working hard and finally take advantage of his opportunities, it always warms my heart."

Watkins gave some credit on his catches to the offseason work he put in with quarterback Brock Purdy. The two of them were among the players to work out in Nashville, which is where a number of 49ers have done some offseason training in recent years at the home of George Kittle.

"I think that goes back into the offseason as well whenever we were down in Tennessee," Watkins said. "To have him trust me like that, to be able to put it on the line, is huge."

Watkins also gave a nod to Evans, who has been doing his part to help since joining the 49ers in March.

"Mike Evans has been great," Watkins said. "He's always trying to coach me and trying to give me as much knowledge as possible. It's been great having him around. Anytime that he sees something I could have done differently on a route in practice, he's the first person to come over and be like, 'Hey, if I were you, I'd do this, I'd do that.' So to have his knowledge and have him as a resource has been great."

With Evans out of the game, the 49ers were down to Watkins, Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, and KhaDarel Hodge at wide receiver during the second half on Sunday. That's a far cry from what the wide receiver unit was originally expected to look like. But with Robinson last week joining Ricky Pearsall (out for the year with a knee injury), rookie and second-round draft pick De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), and veteran Christian Kirk (calf) as wide receivers who will miss extended time, and now Evans carrying an uncertain status, more opportunities could come Watkins' way in the near future.

"He's been doing a good job all season," Kittle said. "From training camp, OTAs, I think he's been doing a good job. Young players just need to find that consistency, and I think he found that consistency. Once he found that consistency, Kyle trusts you to put you on the field, and the opportunities he got, he took advantage of them."]]> Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images 49ers reportedly signing edge rusher Matthew Judon amid D-line injuries https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203687-reportedly-signing-rusher-matthew-injuries/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:53:30 PDT 2026-09-27T18:53:30-07:00 David Bonilla 60ba278472a38d393b9a15c0125ec28e recently worked out with the team.

Judon revealed the news during a conversation with Arabia Tillery of the ALL32 podcast, explaining his decision to join the 49ers.

"With all of the injuries piling up over there, I think I can just come in and help until some of them guys get back," Judon said. "I know the D-line coach. I know him well. He's a great D-line coach, Coach Kris Kocurek ."

Judon is also familiar with 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was his head coach with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.

"Ra is a big old kid, and he loves the game of football, and he knows a lot about it," Judon said of Morris. "I feel that we didn't get a long enough tenure together, or stint together. And so, just his energy and his love and passion for the game, and I love it as well.

"So, we're going to be able to have fun and create moments, but it's more about winning."


Injuries have struck the 49ers' defensive front early this season. Defensive tackle Alfred Collins is out for the season after suffering a torn patellar tendon ahead of Week 1. Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu suffered a broken foot ahead of the season opener. Defensive tackles James Thompson Jr. (high-ankle sprain) and C.J. West (chipped bone in his knee) are expected to miss multiple weeks.

Meanwhile, rookie defensive end Romello Height underwent hand surgery and missed Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Additionally, star defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a calf injury last week and is expected to miss a few weeks.

With defensive line depth thinning, additions were inevitable.

The Baltimore Ravens selected Judon out of Grand Valley State in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his first five NFL seasons with Baltimore before signing a four-year contract with the New England Patriots in 2021.

In August 2024, the Patriots traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent one season.

Judon played for the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills in 2025, recording 19 tackles, one tackle for a loss, three quarterback hits, and one pass defensed, according to Pro Football Reference.

Through 10 NFL seasons, Judon has appeared in 145 games, recording 429 tackles, 72 sacks, 95 tackles for a loss, one interception, one defensive touchdown, nine forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

Judon's career accolades include four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2019 through 2022.]]> Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Inside the 49ers play that led to Deebo Samuel's wild stat vs. Cardinals https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203683-inside-49ers-deebo-samuels-cardinals/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:20:00 PDT 2026-09-27T19:09:05-07:00 David Bonilla 46f270229ac034bd879848c7b068dd42
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel didn't catch a pass in the Week 3 matchup but finished with 80 receiving yards and a touchdown. That yardage came on the first scoring play of the game, a spectacular trick play that sparked plenty of energy from the Levi's Stadium crowd.

Samuel finished with the most receiving yards in a game without recording a reception.


The 49ers faced a third-and-12 from their own 18-yard line when head coach Kyle Shanahan reached into his bag of tricks and called a hook-and-lateral play. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw to wide receiver Mike Evans, who was immediately tackled by Cardinals safety Andrew Wingard well short of the first down.

But by the time Wingard looked up, Evans had tossed the ball back to Samuel, who burst down the left sideline and beat the Cardinals defenders for an 80-yard touchdown.


The Cardinals weren't really sure what hit them and didn't account for Samuel's speed along the boundary.

"Oh, it was crazy because we walked through that play like once this week," Samuel said after the game. "It was kind of crazy. We called it while kind of backed up. It was third-and-long. Once I seen Mike catch the ball and it was two guys on him, I was like, if I get around here, it ain't gonna be nobody. And Cardinals S Budda Baker showed up, and I showed the speed that people don't think I got."

A confident Samuel was not the least bit intimidated by seeing Baker, a four-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, coming at him on the way to the end zone.

"My mindset has always been the same: don't let one guy bring me down," Samuel said. "I seen him, and just the mindset I have is just getting to the end zone."

Purdy shared his perspective on the play and watching his teammate turn a short reception into a long touchdown.

"Obviously, great play call in that moment, especially early in the game," Purdy said. "I mean, Kyle does some really cool things where he draws up certain plays in third-and-longs or second-and-longs. Just like any other team in the NFL, if you watch, there's usually some weird plays that can also happen.

"But we had the right look, guys matched to Mike, got him the ball. Mike did a good job of sort of taking the hit and then delivering it to Deebo. And for Deebo to just go and take off, that's what he does best. He's a playmaker. Just a great play call, and then I thought we executed it really well."

When asked about the bizarre resulting stat line, Samuel confirmed that he'd never seen anything like it before.

Shanahan admitted he wasn't quite sure what to call the play that gave the 49ers the first points of the game.

"It's not really a flea flicker. I don't know what it is," Shanahan said. "It's a lateral. It's crazy when Deebo has zero catches, but has 80 yards of reception. It was awesome. Great ball by Brock, great job by Mike to catch it clean. He took a hit as he was tossing it to Deebo, and that's what Deebo does best—he finishes and scores."

Shanahan pushed back on the notion that the play is a "trick play," noting that he has called it several times before and that other teams around the league have used similar concepts. However, he saw an opportunity to use it given the situation.

"We did it a couple of times last year," Shanahan explained. "Something we've done probably four times in the last two years. It was third-and-long ... We knew you can't throw over everybody at that time, and we hoped everyone would suck up on Mike and toss it to Deebo."

Shanahan said the play was not part of the team's opening script. However, he added, "It was one of our top calls on third-and-12-plus in that section."

The Cardinals may have been caught off guard by Samuel's speed. The veteran receiver remained a free agent for much of the offseason, with many wondering if he had lost a step at age 30. Clearly, he remains fast enough to still be a playmaker within Shanahan's offense.

Samuel acknowledged that he heard the chatter about his diminished speed but decided to use the doubts as motivation.

"I just hear it in the offseason, but just use that as a little motivation to just go out here and play the game," Samuel said.

Tackle Trent Williams didn't even realize the play to Samuel was going to happen. After all, he simply listens for the protection call on any given play. The offensive lineman was asked what he was thinking when he saw the receiver scamper downfield.

"I'm like, damn, Deebo's running fast as hell," Williams said.

Shanahan doesn't quite understand the narrative surrounding Samuel's speed heading into the 2026 season. The player is pretty much what Shanahan remembers from Samuel's first stint with the team before spending a season with the Washington Commanders.

"I think Deebo's not much different at all than when he was here last time," Shanahan said. "I mean, he was only gone for a year. But I think, just whether it was the last couple of years Deebo was here or even now, just like all these guys, they understand how long a season is, how much goes into it.

"I think Deebo's doing an awesome job taking care of his body, an awesome job preparing throughout the week. He came into camp unbelievable, and he's just in shape and everything in his conditioning, and he's still doing the same thing right now. He hasn't let up at all."

Linebacker Fred Warner, who watched the play unfold from the sideline, knows Samuel remains a versatile offensive weapon that defenses can't fully account for. He's grateful the veteran playmaker returned to the 49ers this season.

"Deebo, he's just giving himself a great opportunity to capitalize in the moments where the ball is obviously in his hands," Warner said. "He's always been a dynamic playmaker and has the ability to take a top off a defense. Or obviously, when the ball's in his hands, guys having a hard time bringing him to the ground.

"So yeah, honestly, it helps, too, that he plays alongside a lot of really talented players. A defense has to account for so many different playmakers on our offense that you don't know who's getting the ball, which plays, at what time of the game. So Deebo's a huge part of what we do, for sure."]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images 49ers provide injury updates on Mike Evans, Trent Williams, several others after win vs. Cardinals https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203677-provide-injury-updates-several-cardinals/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 17:21:00 PDT 2026-09-27T19:25:37-07:00 David Bonilla e7f98283eb2b389c42cbfe9601916731
Wide receiver Mike Evans suffered a rib/oblique injury in the second quarter and was carted to the locker room. He was eventually ruled out and did not return.

When asked about the severity of Evans' injury, Shanahan said, "We're not sure yet."

During the game, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Evans is dealing with a rib strain.

"He'll have a full evaluation tomorrow, but those can be painful," Rapoport wrote on social media.


Shanahan was asked if he had an idea of how much time Evans might miss. However, the uncertainty around the injury makes it difficult to estimate a timetable right now.

"We don't know yet," the coach said. "We couldn't tell if it was a broken rib; we couldn't tell if it was an oblique, so it's something we'll find out probably more tomorrow."

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was asked about his perspective on Evans' injury.

"I really didn't see it," Samuel said. "I just so happened to turn around and see Mike grimacing. I didn't know what type of injury it was, and I saw him out there and he was grabbing his ribs, so I was like, 'Aw man, I hope he's gonna be alright.'"

Tight end George Kittle was asked about the potential impact of losing a player like Evans if he has to miss time.

"Losing a Hall of Fame wide receiver who's still playing at a Hall of Fame level, that's tough to replace," Kittle said. "You don't really get that very often. But like I said, we have a lot of good players on this team. The young guys, they're all going to play at a high level. That's my expectation of them.

"And Coach Shanahan and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and run game coordinator Joe Graves are going to scheme the hell out of the next team that we play to put guys in opportunities to succeed."

Other 49ers injuries


Shanahan also shared the following injury updates:

  • Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was evaluated for a concussion but returned to the game.
  • Tackle Trent Williams suffered a stinger and did not return.
  • Cornerback Renardo Green was evaluated for a concussion but returned to the game.
  • Defensive tackle Gracen Halton was dealing with cramps and did not return.
  • Linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered a quad injury, returned for one play, and then was pulled from the game.
  • Linebacker Garret Wallow suffered a stinger but returned to the game.

Williams refrained from predicting whether he would be available for San Francisco's next game. He knew right away that the injury was a stinger.

"I've had a lot of them," Williams said in the locker room. "Then, it was just wanting to get more imaging on the neck portion of it and make sure everything was all right."

Up next: The 49ers will host the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, October 4. We'll have to wait to see how much more short-handed the team might be for that Week 4 matchup.]]> Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Recap: 49ers survive comeback from feisty Cardinals, move to 3-0 with 36-30 win https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/203667-recap-survive-comeback-feisty-cardinals/ Sun, 27 Sep 2026 16:26:00 PDT 2026-09-27T19:30:14-07:00 Kirk Larrabee 10a449d29b27b30b6dd40d2e9bc56999 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot ARI 0 6 7 17 30 SF 7 10 6 13 36
The San Francisco 49ers remained unbeaten with a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but they needed all sixty minutes to get it done despite building a 17-point third-quarter lead.

The 49ers ran up a 23-6 lead early in the third quarter, but the Cardinals stormed back to pull within 23-20 in the fourth. The teams exchanged touchdowns before the 49ers took over with a 29-27 lead with less than three minutes to play, and then the 49ers were able to go up 36-27 on a touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to tight end George Kittle with just over 90 seconds remaining. The 49ers held on from there to escape with a 36-30 win in front of the home crowd at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

Purdy finished with 297 yards and four touchdowns on 15-of-27 passing, while Kittle caught six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett finished with 280 yards and two touchdowns on 38-of-52 passing.

Cardinals burned by penalties and a fancy 49ers trick play in the first half


The Cardinals opened the game with possession and were putting together a strong opening drive before being stalled by a holding penalty. The 49ers took over at their own 20 after a punt and stumbled out of the gate with a false start penalty followed by an incompletion and a short second-down run. But fireworks came on third down when the 49ers stunned the Cardinals with a hook-and-lateral that went from Brock Purdy to wide receiver Mike Evans to wide receiver Deebo Samuel for an 80-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.


Another holding penalty killed the Cardinals' momentum on the next drive, leading to a punt that gave the 49ers the ball at their own 7-yard line. Two runs by Christian McCaffrey for 13 combined yards opened the 49ers' second possession, followed by a third-down catch by McCaffrey for 13 yards that gave the 49ers a conversion on 3rd-and-7. The drive moved into Cardinals territory on a 25-yard completion to wide receiver Jordan Watkins on a 3rd-and-11, and a 12-yard completion to Kittle on the final play of the first quarter moved the ball to the Cardinals' 23-yard line. On the next play, Purdy perfectly dropped a pass into the hands of Evans in the end zone to cap the 93-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.


Penalties remained a problem for the Cardinals on their third possession, this time being an offensive pass interference call on tight end Trey McBride that negated a third-down conversion and put the Cardinals in a 3rd-and-13. The 49ers took over at their own 14-yard line after forcing a punt but were held to a three-and-out and punted back to the Cardinals with 11:12 left in the second quarter.

The Cardinals began the next possession at their own 38-yard line and drove inside the 49ers' 10-yard line in ten plays, overcoming three more penalties along the way. The 49ers held firm on defense from there, however, forcing the Cardinals to settle for a 26-yard field goal from kicker Chad Ryland to cut the lead to 14-3.

The 49ers took over at their own 32-yard line after the field goal and ensuing kickoff and moved close to midfield after two runs from McCaffrey and a third-down catch by Evans. But three consecutive incompletions followed that catch and forced a punt back to the Cardinals, who took over at their own 18-yard line with 1:30 left in the half.

Brissett led the Cardinals downfield in a hurry, completing four passes for 63 yards, while the 49ers helped with an unnecessary roughness penalty from linebacker Fred Warner. But incompletions on first and third down and a four-yard loss on second down forced the Cardinals to settle for another field goal, this one from 41 yards to cut the lead to 14-6 with 23 seconds remaining.

The 49ers took over their own 27-yard line after the kickoff with only 16 seconds remaining in the half, but they weren't content to run out the clock. Purdy connected with Watkins on first down for a 34-yard completion to the Cardinals' 39-yard line, and after an incompletion on the next play, kicker Eddy Pineiro was brought on to attempt a 57-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. Pineiro's kick went through the uprights as time expired to give the 49ers a 17-6 halftime lead, while the Cardinals were hit with one final first-half penalty -- an unnecessary roughness call that would be enforced on the second-half kickoff.

The penalty was the eighth for the Cardinals, who racked up 65 penalty yards in the first half to just 25 yards on three penalties for the 49ers. The 49ers wound up outgaining the Cardinals 227-184 in the half, with all but 23 of those yards coming in the air. Purdy finished the half with 204 yards and two touchdowns on 8-of-17 passing, while Brissett connected on 20-of-29 passes for 137 yards.

49ers survive action-packed second half with late heroics


Things started off for the Cardinals in the second half the way they ended in the first half -- with a personal foul on the opening kickoff. That started the 49ers off at their own 44-yard line, and they took full advantage with a seven-play, 56-yard drive that gave the 49ers a 23-6 lead on a touchdown run by McCaffrey. Two catches for 29 yards by Kittle, along with gains by McCaffrey and running back Kaelon Black, moved the ball to the 1-yard line, where McCaffrey dove into the end zone to finish the drive. Pineiro's point-after attempt was no good, leaving the 49ers with a 17-point lead.


The Cardinals stayed in the game with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to wide receiver Michael Wilson. The drive took over eight minutes off the clock and included a number of short completions and runs before Wilson's catch cut the lead to 23-13 with 3:02 left in the third.


The teams exchanged three-and-outs after the touchdown before the Cardinals got their biggest break of the day on a special teams error by the 49ers. With the 49ers ready to take possession just before the end of the third quarter, the punt from Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin took a bounce off the foot of defensive back Siran Neal and was recovered by wide receiver Simi Fehoko to give the Cardinals the ball at the 49ers' 28-yard line.


The Cardinals soon faced a 4th-and-2 at the 20-yard line and got another break when a pass interference call on cornerback Deommodore Lenoir in the end zone gave them the ball at the 1. Brissett finished the drive two plays later with a touchdown pass to running back Jeremiyah Love to cut the lead to 23-20.


The 49ers were able to answer the touchdown with one of their own after an eight-play, 65-yard drive. The 49ers opened the drive at their own 35-yard line following a touchback and moved across midfield on an 11-yard catch from Kittle and a 10-yard run by McCaffrey. A series of gains from McCaffrey, Black and Samuel moved the ball inside the 20. Then, after a third-down roughing-the-passer penalty by Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat kept the drive alive, Purdy found Kittle from ten yards out to put the 49ers up nine. Another missed PAT by Pineiro left the score at 29-20 with 8:37 remaining in the game.


The Cardinals stayed in the game with another touchdown drive, this one spanning 68 yards on 14 plays. A key 19-yard completion to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on a 3rd-and-11 kept the Cardinals on the field early in the drive, then Brissett led the Cardinals downfield before finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 29-27. The drive took nearly six minutes off the clock and left the 49ers with two minutes and 51 seconds to spend if they wanted to seal the win.


Another touchback gave the 49ers the ball at their own 35-yard line and they moved the clock to the two-minute warning after an 11-yard catch followed by a 12-yard run by McCaffrey. With the ball at the Cardinals' 42-yard line, McCaffrey was stopped for a three-yard loss to move the 49ers back to the 45-yard line. Purdy then appeared to seal the deal with a run into the end zone from 45 yards out, but Kittle was called for a hold right before the goal line to put the 49ers at the 20. A run for no gain by McCaffrey put the clock at 1:36 while forcing the Cardinals to burn their final timeout, then Kittle redeemed himself by getting open for one last 49ers touchdown. Pineiro connected on the point-after attempt this time, giving the 49ers a 36-27 lead.


The Cardinals were able to move 35 yards and add a 49-yard field goal from Ryland with 34 seconds remaining but failed on an ensuing onside kick attempt, which was recovered by Samuel. The 49ers ran out the clock to move to 3-0 and take sole possession of first place in the NFC West, while the Cardinals fell to 1-2 with the loss.

Game Notes


This game marked the 70th all-time meeting between the 49ers and Cardinals. The 49ers now hold a 39-31 edge in the series, with wins in seven of the last nine games... The game was the 166th in the head coaching career of Kyle Shanahan, who is now tied with Bill Walsh for the most games coached in 49ers history... Evans was carted off the field late in the second quarter with a rib injury and did not return... Left tackle Trent Williams (shoulder) was also carted off the field early in the third quarter and did not return... The 49ers will be at home for the third consecutive game next week as they face the Denver Broncos on Sunday, October 4. The game will kick off at 1:25 p.m. local time and will be broadcast on CBS.

Scoring Summary


  • Q1 08:40 — ARI 0, SF 7
    D. Samuel 82 yd. pass play by B. Purdy (E. Pineiro kick) (3 plays, 80 yds, 0:52)
  • Q2 15:00 — ARI 0, SF 14
    M. Evans 23 yd. pass from B. Purdy (E. Pineiro kick) (10 plays, 93 yds, 5:16)
  • Q2 03:08 — ARI 3, SF 14
    C. Ryland 26 yd. Field Goal (14 plays, 54 yds, 8:09)
  • Q2 00:27 — ARI 6, SF 14
    C. Ryland 41 yd. Field Goal (8 plays, 59 yds, 1:07)
  • Q2 00:04 — ARI 6, SF 17
    E. Pineiro 57 yd. Field Goal (3 plays, 34 yds, 0:23)
  • Q3 11:10 — ARI 6, SF 23
    C. McCaffrey 1 yd. run (kick failed, wl) (7 plays, 56 yds, 3:53)
  • Q3 03:07 — ARI 13, SF 23
    Mi.Wilson 5 yd. pass from J. Brissett (C. Ryland kick) (14 plays, 69 yds, 8:05)
  • Q4 13:10 — ARI 20, SF 23
    J. Love 1 yd. pass from J. Brissett (C. Ryland kick) (5 plays, 28 yds, 2:25)
  • Q4 08:46 — ARI 20, SF 29
    G. Kittle 10 yd. pass from B. Purdy (kick failed, hru) (8 plays, 65 yds, 4:24)
  • Q4 02:55 — ARI 27, SF 29
    J. Brissett 1 yd. run (C. Ryland kick) (14 plays, 68 yds, 5:51)
  • Q4 01:36 — ARI 27, SF 36
    G. Kittle 20 yd. pass from B. Purdy (E. Pineiro kick) (7 plays, 65 yds, 1:20)
  • Q4 00:39 — ARI 30, SF 36
    C. Ryland 49 yd. Field Goal (5 plays, 35 yds, 0:57)

Game and Player Stats


ARI Team Stats SF
272 Passing Yards 297
93 Rushing Yards 140
365 Total Yards 437
5.38 Avg Yards per Pass 11
3.44 Avg Yards per Run 6.09
0 Fumbles Lost 1
0 Int Thrown 0
2 Sacks Allowed 0
00:38:44 Time of Pos 00:21:16
10 Penalties 7

Cardinals Player Stats
Passing Cmp/Att Yds TDs INTs
Jacoby Brissett 38/52 280 2 0
Rushing Att Yds Avg TDs
Jeremiyah Love 21 90 4.3 0
Jacoby Brissett 4 4 1 1
Tyler Allgeier 2 -1 -0.5 0
Receiving Rec Tgt Yds TDs
Michael Wilson 11 17 89 1
Trey McBride 9 11 75 0
Marvin Harrison 3 5 40 0
Kendrick Bourne 2 3 22 0
Elijah Higgins 3 3 20 0
Jeremiyah Love 5 5 19 1
Tyler Allgeier 4 4 10 0
Hunter Long 1 1 5 0
Jalen Brooks 0 1 0 0
Kicking FG Att Lg XP
Chad Ryland 3 3 49 3
Punting No Avg I20 Lg
Blake Gillikin 4 43.5 2 63
Punt Returns Att Avg TDs Lg
Devin Duvernay 2 10 0 10
Defense T-A Sck INTs FF
Jack Gibbens 8-4 0 0 0
Mack Wilson 6-4 0 0 0
Budda Baker 4-3 0 0 0
Max Melton 4-1 0 0 0
Eku Leota 2-2 0 0 0
Baron Browning 2-1 0 0 0
Wydett Williams 2-1 0 0 0
Zaven Collins 2-0 0 0 0
Denzel Burke 2-0 0 0 0
Andrew Wingard 10-9 0 0 0
Dante Stills 1-1 0 0 0
Garrett Williams 1-1 0 0 0
Darius Robinson 1-1 0 0 0
Walter Nolen 1-1 0 0 0

49ers Player Stats
Passing Cmp/Att Yds TDs INTs
Brock Purdy 15/27 297 4 0
Rushing Att Yds Avg TDs
Christian McCaffrey 15 75 5 1
Brock Purdy 2 34 17 0
Kaelon Black 4 17 4.3 0
Deebo Samuel 2 14 7 0
Receiving Rec Tgt Yds TDs
George Kittle 6 7 82 2
Jordan Watkins 2 2 60 0
Christian McCaffrey 4 5 41 0
Mike Evans 3 6 34 1
Luke Farrell 0 1 0 0
Kaelon Black 0 1 0 0
Kyle Juszczyk 0 2 0 0
Jacob Cowing 0 2 0 0
Fumbles Fum Lost
Siran Neal 1 1 0 0
Kicking FG Att Lg XP
Eddy Pineiro 1 1 57 3
Punting No Avg I20 Lg
Corliss Waitman 3 41.7 1 57
Punt Returns Att Avg TDs Lg
Jacob Cowing 1 7 0 7
Defense T-A Sck INTs FF
Dre Greenlaw 8-5 0 0 0
Ji'Ayir Brown 6-4 0 0 0
Deommodore Lenoir 5-2 0 0 0
Jack Jones 5-2 0 0 0
Malik Mustapha 4-3 0 0 0
Marques Sigle 4-2 0 0 0
Sebastian Valdez 3-2 0 0 0
Keion White 3-2 1 0 0
Garret Wallow 3-1 0 0 0
Gracen Halton 3-1 0 0 0
Khalid Kareem 3-0 0 0 0
Upton Stout 2-2 0 0 0
Fred Warner 17-9 0 0 0
Renardo Green 13-6 0 0 0
Kevin Givens 1-1 0 0 0
Naquan Jones 1-1 0 0 0
Osa Odighizuwa 1-1 0 0 0
Jaden Dugger 1-0 0 0 0
Ogbo Okoronkwo 1-0 1 0 0
]]> Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images