The San Francisco 49ers remained unbeaten Sunday, but they had to survive a furious fourth-quarter comeback from the Arizona Cardinals before escaping with a 36-30 victory at Levi’s Stadium.
San Francisco improved to 3-0, while Arizona dropped to 1-2. The Cardinals controlled the football for nearly 39 minutes, but the 49ers repeatedly produced explosive plays and made enough big plays in the fourth quarter to hold on.
Purdy Puts on a Show
Brock Purdy was the difference-maker.
The San Francisco quarterback completed 15 of 27 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He repeatedly attacked Arizona downfield, and his four touchdown passes kept the Cardinals from completely taking control of the game.
Purdy’s connection with George Kittle was especially effective. Kittle finished with six receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns, including the 20-yard score that ultimately helped San Francisco withstand Arizona’s late push.
A Wild Start
San Francisco immediately showed its creativity.
On the opening touchdown, Purdy connected with Mike Evans for a short completion before Evans lateraled the ball to Deebo Samuel, who turned the unusual play into an 80-yard touchdown.
The 49ers followed that with another Purdy-to-Evans touchdown, building an early advantage.
San Francisco’s offense was producing explosive plays while Arizona struggled to find its rhythm.
Arizona Refuses to Go Away
The Cardinals gradually fought their way back into the game.
Jacoby Brissett completed 38 of 52 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Wilson had a productive afternoon with 11 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Trey McBride also remained heavily involved, catching nine passes for 75 yards.
Arizona’s offense continued to chip away at the deficit, and by the fourth quarter the game had transformed from a comfortable San Francisco lead into a genuine shootout.
The Fourth Quarter Gets Crazy
Arizona entered the final quarter with momentum and continued attacking.
Brissett scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown, followed by another Cardinals touchdown that cut the San Francisco advantage to just two points.
But every time Arizona got close, San Francisco had an answer.
Purdy found Kittle for a 10-yard touchdown with 8:46 remaining, and then connected with him again for a 20-yard touchdown with only 1:36 left.
That second Kittle touchdown proved enormous.
Arizona added another field goal with 39 seconds remaining, but the Cardinals’ onside-kick attempt was recovered by San Francisco. Purdy then took a knee to close out the victory.
McCaffrey Provides the Balance
Christian McCaffrey didn’t need a monster statistical performance because San Francisco’s passing game was so explosive, but he still made important contributions.
McCaffrey carried 15 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, giving the 49ers enough balance to prevent Arizona from simply focusing on Purdy.
His one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter extended San Francisco’s advantage and temporarily pushed the Cardinals into a difficult position.
Arizona Shows Plenty of Fight
Despite the loss, Arizona demonstrated considerable resilience.
The Cardinals were down by multiple scores but kept attacking, eventually turning the contest into a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter.
Brissett’s performance was particularly important. Arizona’s quarterback didn’t throw an interception and repeatedly moved the offense downfield when the Cardinals needed points.
The problem was that San Francisco’s offense was simply too explosive.
The 49ers finished with 437 total yards and averaged an eye-catching 8.7 yards per play, while Arizona produced 365 yards.
Final Thoughts
This was much closer than San Francisco probably wanted.
The 49ers appeared to have control early, but Arizona’s persistence turned the final quarter into a high-pressure battle. San Francisco’s ability to answer every Cardinals scoring surge ultimately proved decisive.
Purdy’s four touchdown passes, Kittle’s two-touchdown performance and several explosive plays from the 49ers’ offense were enough to preserve the perfect start.
For Arizona, the comeback effort showed that the Cardinals could compete offensively, but the defense couldn’t consistently contain San Francisco’s big-play attack.
Final Score: San Francisco 49ers 36, Arizona Cardinals 30
Game MVP: Brock Purdy
Bottom line: The 49ers remain 3-0, but Sunday’s victory was anything but easy. San Francisco’s offense delivered when it mattered most, while Arizona demonstrated enough fight to make the NFC West matchup a thriller all the way to the final seconds.
