SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have been the NFL’s first staff to succeed in 3-0, however eight different groups appeared to equal that begin coming into Sunday’s slate of NFL video games.
Quickly, solely two different groups shall be left standing in with the 49ers within the undefeated ranks: the Miami Dolphins, who scored a mere 70 factors in Sunday’s win over Denver, and the winner of tonight’s Philadelphia Eagles’ go to to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (barring a tie).
That’s to not say the 49ers are already consumed by the potential playoff image – or the 1972 Dolphins’ one-and-only undefeated season.
After Thursday night time’s home-opening 30-12 rout of the New York Giants, the 49ers had the weekend off to look at NFC challengers Dallas, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans every lose, together with the AFC’s Baltimore Ravens, the franchise that handed the 49ers their first Tremendous Bowl defeat a decade in the past. (Nonetheless too quickly?).
The Cowboys’ defeat was probably the most beautiful, not simply to show their mortality however that it got here in 28-16 street vogue to the beforehand winless Arizona Cardinals.
The 49ers’ subsequent opponent: the Cardinals, on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium. (The 49ers’ subsequent subsequent opponent: the Cowboys, on Oct. 8 “Sunday Night time Soccer” at Levi’s Stadium.)
THIS WEEK’S STORYLINES
1. Quarterback battle: Are you prepared for Brock Purdy vs. Kyler Murray, er, Joshua Dobbs? Purdy stays unbeaten in regular-season motion (9 video games since changing Jimmy Garoppolo) and he’s gone 190 consecutive passes with out an interception (courting to New Yr’s Day in Vegas). With Murray nonetheless recovering from final season’s ACL tear, the Cardinals traded for Dobbs a month in the past from Cleveland (2024 fifth-round decide). He additionally hasn’t been intercepted this season (82 passes), however he threw for under 189 yards Sunday, together with 69 on one play, en path to his first profession win in seven NFL seasons.
2. Ex-Eagles reunion: Sunday marked the primary win for Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. Gannon beforehand served because the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and it was his unit that stymied the quarterback-challenged 49ers in a 31-7 NFC Championship Recreation blowout (earlier than the Eagles’ Tremendous Bowl loss to Kansas Metropolis). Two free brokers from that protection are off to scorching begins with their new groups: the 49ers’ Javon Hargrave and the Cardinals’ Kyzir White, the latter of whom had a win-clinching interception and 14 tackles Sunday.
3. Receiver well being: Brandon Aiyuk didn’t play in Thursday’s win due to his Week 2 shoulder harm, in order that appears extra regarding than Deebo Samuel’s rib points. Samuel was damage within the fourth quarter Thursday night time however returned to cap that very same drive with a landing catch, then underwent X-rays that exposed no fracture, coach Kyle Shanahan stated. Possibly Purdy simply wants to focus on George Kittle, whose six profession landing catches in opposition to the Cardinals equal his most in opposition to any staff (the Rams are the opposite).
4. Landing streaks: McCaffrey has scored a landing in 12 consecutive video games, playoffs included, for the NFL’s longest lively streak. His Cardinals’ counterpart isn’t any slough. James Conner has scored in eight of his previous 10 video games for the Cardinals, and he has 5 touchdowns in his previous three video games in opposition to the 49ers, together with a hat trick within the 2021 Cardinals’ win at Levi’s Stadium.
5. Lure sport: Did we point out that the Cowboys await the next Sunday in a prime-time rematch from the playoffs? Which playoffs? Nicely, there was the 49ers’ victory in final 12 months’s divisional dwelling sport, and within the 2021 wild-card go to to the Cowboys. No scarcity of drama on this (or that) storied rivalry.
INJURY REPORT
Listed below are the 49ers accidents to observe:
WR Deebo Samuel (ribs)
WR Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder)
LB Dre Greenlaw (ankle)
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (ankle)
CB Ambry Thomas (knee)
Listed below are the Cardinals’ accidents:
LB Zaven Collins (eye)
LB Krys Barnes (hand)
LB Josh Woods (ankle)
DL Leki Fotu (shoulder)
OL Kelvin Beachum (hand)
DL L.J. Collins (Injured Reserve; biceps)
S Budda Baker (Injured Reserve; hamstring)
DL Carlos Watkins (Injured Reserve; biceps)
LAST MEETING
The 49ers gained 38-13 at dwelling within the Jan. 8 regular-season finale, for a tenth straight win. The Cardinals, in J.J. Watt’s NFL farewell, jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the sport’s second snap, when David Blough threw a flea-flicker for a 77-yard landing cross to A.J. Inexperienced, who beat Deommodore Lenoir and Tashaun Gipson Sr. on the play. Purdy had a career-high 141.2 passer score and his first sport with three landing passes (two to Kittle, one to Christian McCaffrey). Gipson had two interceptions, and George Odum one.
SERIES HISTORY
The 49ers lead 34-29, however are simply 2-4 in opposition to the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium since Kyle Shanahan grew to become the 49ers’ coach. These wins: 2019 (36-36) and final 12 months (38-13); these losses have been in 2017 (20-10), ’18 (28-18), ’20 (24-20) and ’21 (31-17). Ethical of that story: The 49ers win in the event that they rating 30 factors for a fourth straight sport this season.
WEATHER
Sunny, excessive of 77 levels, winds 10 to fifteen mph, based on climate.com
BETTING LINE
The 49ers opened as 14 ½-point favorites, based on DraftKings.com
Prediction:
49ers 33, Cardinals 7
