The San Francisco 49ers are 3-0, and for the third straight week, they’re outplayed but win the do or die plays to take the game. Three plays led to the 16-15 victory:
Arizona ball on their 44, 3:39 left, third and 5. With a first down they’re in position to put the game away. Kyler Murray looks downfield for Trey McBride, and the pass is deflected at the line by Fred Warner. For the second week in a row, there was a clutch play late by Warner with the game on the line. Warner continues to author a Defensive Player of the Year season.
Arizona ball at their 50, 2:00 left. A first down ends the game as the Niners only have one timeout left. Murray finds Zay Jones, who makes the catch initially, but as he’s coming down with the ball, Upton Stout strips it. The rookie who plays with no memory and has been both hero and goat this season saves the game.
49ers ball at the Arizona 36, 0:25 left. The Niners need at least another 10 yards to make it an easier field goal attempt. Mac Jones throws short to Christian McCaffrey with blockers in front of him. CMC makes a smart cut to the middle of the field and takes the ball to the 16, a clutch 20-yard gain. McCaffrey was the game plan, and with the game on the line, he delivered. 140 yards of total offense on the day.
Mac Jones-27/41 for 284 yards. On the game-winning drive, he was 5-7 on 10 plays for 63 yards. Jones has thrown for over 550 yards in two games. The Niners arguably have the best backup quarterback in the league.
Ricky Pearsall-He had to step up with so many receivers injured, and even with Arizona knowing the Niners would have to go to Pearsall, he made eight catches for 117 yards, including a 34-yard over the shoulder catch on a key 4th down.
Christian McCaffrey–The NFL total offense leader at running back – he’s inefficient on the ground but money in the air. 17 carries for 52 yards running but 10 catches for 88 yards receiving. He was 14 of the 24 plays in the first half. His workload is not sustainable, but with key weapons coming back soon, hopefully that can be scaled back.
Fred Warner–11 tackles, two passes defensed, and one of the biggest plays of the game on the pass deflection. Warner is making a DPOY case with his clutch play through the first three games.
Upton Stout–This game is a loss if not for Stout’s strip of Zay Jones.
Eddy Pineiro–Switching from Jake Moody to Pineiro has reduced the blood pressure of Kyle Shanahan and The Faithful. Under Moody high anxiety almost expecting disaster with each attempt. With Pineiro, the calm expectation that he’ll drill the kicks. Three field goals, all no problem.
The Guards. 3.1 yards per carry for Christian McCaffrey. Some bad pass pro snaps where Connor Colby was beaten easily, plus Dominick Puni’s hold in the end zone for the safety.
A tip of the cap though to Colton McKivitz, out front for key runs and McCaffrey’s 20-yard gain that won the game.
Shanahan pushing the easy button too often for McCaffrey made the Niners too predictable. That said, the touchdown was a clever call with the play fake to McCaffrey drawing the defense and leaving Kyle Juszczyk uncovered in the end zone.
Nick Bosa’s knee injury is a huge concern going forward. The Niners cannot afford to lose him for this upcoming stretch, with the next three games against likely playoff teams.
Another home game, 2-1 Jacksonville comes to town. The Jags are vastly improved over last year and are a more complete team than the three clubs the Niners have beaten. This looked like an easy win when the schedules were announced, but the 2025 Jags are a dangerous opponent.
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