The San Francisco 49ers held on at home against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. The score was 36-30, but Kyle Shanahan’s aggressive approach to ending the game showed how he felt about letting his defense decide.
Here are the winners and losers for Week 3.
Shanahan’s ability to sequence plays and keep the offense ahead of schedule is uncanny. Historical, even.
Missing Mike Evans, the 49ers still made some explosive plays. They didn’t miss a beat on the field either. The success rate was over 55%. The rushing success rate was 59%. They are both elite personalities.
Despite missing Mike Evans for much of the game, the Niners still had the highest EPA per game in the league, nearly double the second-place team. The offense only ran 50 plays, but averaged 8.7 yards per play.
The offense is a juggernaut, and Shanahan has that to thank.
Several metrics show when a quarterback is under duress or when his receivers are not open. The Cardinals pressured Purdy on nearly 40 percent of his losses. Purdy threw the ball on 10.7 percent of his attempts. A few tight, close throws may have made you nervous, but Purdy once again came up short on several sacks to keep the Niners ahead of schedule.
Purdy ran for 34 yards. He should have a touchdown on his record. It’s impressive how he resists the pressure on his face and knows where every gap is.
Purdy has a knack for playing on time and making aggressive decisions, and his four-touchdown performance was a big reason why San Francisco held on against the Cardinals.
Purdy recorded his 14th career game with a passer rating over 130, the most of any player before turning 27 in NFL history. He surpassed Lamar Jackson.
Kittle led the 49ers with eight impact plays, according to Sumer Sports. This is a high for the team this season. Fifty percent of Kittle’s targets were in the red zone. He caught six of his seven targets for 82 receiving yards and an impressive 5 yards after the catch average.
The broadcast highlighted how well Kittle blocked. This goes without saying. The 49ers are a different team through the air and, more importantly, on the ground, with Kittle on the field.
Kittle’s two touchdown receptions bring his career total to 55, tying Vernon Davis for fourth on the franchise.
McCaffrey was second on the team with four impact plays. He rushed for a game-high 75 yards, 39 of which came after contact. McCaffrey caught four passes on five targets for 41 yards, bringing his total to over 100 yards from scrimmage.
McCaffrey had two explosive runs against the Cardinals. Add in his production as a receiver, and it’s hard to leave him off this list.
Fred Warner unusually missed three tackles. Dr. Greenlaw also missed three. Jaden Dugger missed one. Osa Odighizuwa missed one. Keion White missed a tackle. Upton Stout missed two tackles.
The 49ers are at a disadvantage once on the field with the plethora of injuries. If they miss 10 tackles per game, they will have no chance of remaining competitive.
The 49ers played four cornerbacks. Each of them was targeted at least five times. Each of them made it possible to achieve at least two thirds of its objectives. Upton Stout allowed all five of his targets to be completed for 7.2 yards per target. Jack Jones allowed 8.3 yards per target.
The cornerbacks will have to step in for a pass rush. They had two assists, but Deommodore Lenoir had pass interference in the end zone.
Aside from that, the 49ers gave up so many easy passes underneath that it allowed Jacoby Brissett to get comfortable and take a short profit. This is why the Cardinals ran 31 more plays than the Niners.
Raheem Morris should look to change the gap and put more pressure on the opposing quarterback with tighter coverage. He can’t do much with so many starters along the defensive line, but the secondary is healthy. There is no excuse for Sunday’s performance.
For the second time this season, McCaffrey averaged more than 1.5 yards before contact (1.9). He’s only reached that mark three times in 2025. That’s an offensive line stat.
The line allowed just four pressures and Purdy averaged 3.26 seconds to complete 27 dropbacks. That’s an offensive line stat.
It’s a unit that remains one of the team’s strengths, and one that the 49ers will continue to lean on as injuries pile up.
The Makeshift Defensive Tackle Group
Odighizuwa had four pressures and a deflected pass that probably should have resulted in an interception.
Before leaving with an injury, Halton made three impact plays, including a tackle for loss on a screen.
Kevin Givens is under some pressure, including a near dismissal.
Sebastian Valdez made two race stops.
Naquan Jones was having trouble running.
All things considered, the group of defensive tackles competed.
Gn sports
