49ers’ offense comes alive in dominant 38-10 win over Cardinals

It's safe to say 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan won't be facing much criticism about the performance of his offense this week after what they were able to do against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

There had been questions at times in recent weeks about the performance of the 49ers' offense, which hadn't always been playing up to expectations despite being stacked with playmakers. But those questions will likely subside following the 49ers' 38-10 win over the Cardinals, which featured six scoring drives while all the team's offensive weapons were on display.

The performance energized a spirited crowd at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, most of whom were cheering on the 49ers. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions while the 49ers converted six of 11 attempts on third down. Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy, who drew the start in place of the injured Kyler Murray (hamstring), finished with 218 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception on 24-of-34 passing.

First Half

The teams exchanged three-and-outs to start the game, then the Cardinals generated some offense with an 11-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard field goal from kicker Matt Prater. McCoy connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a pair of 17-yard gains on the drive before it stalled inside the 25-yard line.

The 49ers moved the ball to their own 42 yard line on the next possession, then sent a punt back to the Cardinals that was downed at the 4-yard line. The Cardinals were forced to punt after six plays, setting the 49ers up at their own 18-yard line after a 59-yard boot from former 49er Andy Lee. The 49ers then put together their first scoring drive of the night, moving 82 yards in nine plays to take a 7-3 lead on a 7-yard touchdown strike from Garoppolo to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. A 19-yard catch by wide receiver Deebo Samuel and a 20-yard run by running back Christian McCaffrey helped set the 49ers up inside the red zone, then Garoppolo found Aiyuk on a 3rd-and-5 for the score.

Momentum continued to move in the 49ers' favor on the next possession, which began at the 25-yard line after a touchback on the kickoff. The Cardinals advanced across midfield on a 3rd-and-7 completion to Hopkins, but were moved backwards after Hopkins was flagged for taunting. Two plays after the penalty, a pass from McCoy bounced off the hand of running back James Conner and into the hands of defensive back Jimmie Ward, who gave the 49ers the ball at the Cardinals' 46-yard line.

It didn't take long for the 49ers to cash in on the interception. After a 7-yard completion to tight end George Kittle on first down and an incomplete pass on second down, Garoppolo stepped out of the pocket on 3rd-and-3 and lobbed a pass over the middle to Kittle, who ran in for a 39-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

The Cardinals answered quickly on the next drive due in large part to a 47-yard catch and run from receiver Greg Dortch. The catch set the Cardinals up at the 49ers' 13-yard line, and four plays later Conner dove into the end zone from two yards out to cut the 49ers' lead to 14-10.

The offense kept moving for the 49ers on the next possession, which went 54 yards in ten plays and finished with a 39-yard field goal from Robbie Gould to stretch the lead to 17-10 with less than a minute remaining in the half. The half came to an end on the following possession when McCoy was sacked by defensive end Nick Bosa with 18 seconds remaining. The 49ers held the slimmest of advantages in total yardage at the break (186-185), while each team had 11 first downs and the Cardinals held a solid edge in time of possession (18:16 to 11:44) while the 49ers averaged 6.6 yards per play to 4.7 for the Cardinals.

Second Half

The 49ers picked up where they left off offensively to start the second half, putting together an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard touchdown run from Samuel to take a 24-10 lead. Seven of the drive's eight plays took place on the ground, then Samuel took a pitch around the left end and weaved through the defense to give the 49ers their fourth consecutive scoring drive.

The Cardinals turned the ball over on downs at the 49ers' 41-yard line on the next possession, but the 49ers were held to a three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Cardinals. A sack from defensive tackle Kevin Givens pinned the Cardinals back at their own 5-yard line with a 3rd-and-17, and eventually they punted back to the 49ers, who took over in Cardinals territory at the 47-yard line. The 49ers moved downfield in six plays and put their fourth touchdown of the night on the board when Garoppolo connected with Aiyuk from 13 yards out for a 31-10 lead.

Another turnover on downs followed the touchdown, which gave the 49ers possession at midfield early in the fourth quarter. Five plays later, it was Kittle's turn once again as Garoppolo found him open on a 2nd-and-7 and Kittle did the rest, scooting down the sideline for a 32-yard score and a 38-10 lead.

Both teams made a change at quarterback after Kittle's touchdown, with the Cardinals inserting Trace McSorley for McCoy while Brock Purdy took over for the 49ers. The teams exchanged punts, then McSorley led the Cardinals deep into 49ers' territory before being intercepted by cornerback Samuel Womack in the end zone right before the two-minute warning. The 49ers ran out the clock from there to seal the victory.

The win moved the 49ers to 6-4 on the season and into a first place tie with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. The Cardinals dropped to 4-7 with the loss.

Game Notes: The Cardinals were shut out in the second half, marking the third consecutive game the 49ers have held their opponents without a point in the third and fourth quarters... The 49ers and Cardinals also played at Estadio Azteca on October 3, 2005, which was the first international NFL regular season game. The Cardinals won that game 31-14... The 49ers have played in and won two other international games, both of them in the United Kingdom... The 49ers entered into the game with a 32-29 all-time edge against the Cardinals, but the Cardinals have controlled the series in recent years, with a 12-4 record dating back to 2014 before tonight's game. The teams had spilt each of the past six meetings... The last meeting in the series came in November of 2021, a 31-17 win by the Cardinals in a game that also featured McCoy in place of an injured Murray. The game was the most dismal showing of the 2021 season for the 49ers, who then rallied after the loss to make a run to the NFC Championship game... The 49ers will be back in action on Sunday, November 27 in an afternoon home game (4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT, FOX) against the New Orleans Saints (4-7). The Cardinals will host the Los Angeles Chargers with a 1:05 p.m. local kickoff time (CBS).