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The San Francisco 49ers have started the season 4-0 after a strong 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, becoming one of just two teams to remain undefeated alongside the Philadelphia Eagles after the Miami Dolphins faltered earlier in the day.
Once again, the 49ers had a strong offensive performance early, scoring touchdowns on all three of their first-half drives, which led to a season-high 35 points, while the defense was able to hold up with some needed stops and allowing just 16 points to Arizona.
Here are three quick takeaways from San Francisco's 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The offense is better than the defense
Through four games, it's safe to say the 49ers offense is better than their defense. And that's not a bad thing.
While the 49ers' defense has held the edge over the past few seasons with a shutdown identity, the offense has evolved into arguably the best in the NFL, building off their strong finish to the 2022 season.
Brock Purdy and the 49ers have now scored at least 30 points in each of the team's first four games, and the offense saw its best performance on Sunday, scoring touchdowns on five of the team's six offensive drives, a remarkable feat.
The 49ers have arguably the most valuable non-quarterback in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, who has elevated the offense to new levels, while wideout Brandon Aiyuk enjoyed a six-catch, 148-yard (career-high) performance in Week 4.
But, more importantly, Brock Purdy is looking more and more like the quarterback that San Francisco envisioned he could be this offseason, cementing himself in the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL with an elite performance.
Defensively, the 49ers have been good, but there are certain things that still need to be cleaned up, such as their third-down defense and the third cornerback spot.
San Francisco should still possess top-10 units in each area this season, but the offense is better than the defense at the moment, and that'll likely stay the same for the remainder of the season.
Brock Purdy's ascendance
He's started just nine regular-season games in his career, but we're getting closer and closer to anointing Brock Purdy as a true franchise quarterback in the NFL.
Purdy's performance was phenomenal in Week 4. The quarterback completed 20/21 passes for 283 yards and two total touchdowns in the most efficient performance in 49ers franchise history.
In Week 1, Purdy had the best half of his career, but he arguably had the best game of his career in Week 4, and it was a statement game for the quarterback, who only continues to improve as the weeks go on.
I've personally held reservations as to whether Purdy can win the 49ers a Super Bowl, boldly sharing that I didn't believe the team would win one in 2023 with him at quarterback, but the second-year signal-caller blew away expectations in Week 4 and continues to showcase his strong decision-making skills.
I'm excited to see where Purdy grows from here.
Questions to be had
The 49ers have now outscored opponents 127-61 through four weeks, displaying offensive dominance and defensive resiliency to be arguably the strongest team in the NFL through four weeks.
However, there are a few questions defensively that the 49ers will look to clean up as they face tougher opponents, starting in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 49ers struggled on third downs, allowing the Cardinals to convert on 8/15 of their opportunities, while Arizona compiled 362 total yards of offense.
Overall, the 49ers still limited the Cardinals to 16 points, but Arizona went three-and-out just once on Sunday, with their other drives lasting 7, 10, 11, 11, 13, and 13 plays, which gave the away team a slight advantage in time of possession.
The 49ers are going to need to get off the field more often, and it comes down to third-down efficiency and figuring out some of their coverage issues.
The team will now shift its focus to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, who have yet to put everything together offensively, but have also dominated some of their opponents, and the 49ers will need to be better defensively to control games against better opponents.
49ers pluck the Seahawks in Seattle: Quick takeaways
By Marc Adams
Nov 24
The San Francisco 49ers plucked the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, winning 31-13. The win not only increased the 49ers' lead in the division but moved the team to 3-0 against the NFC West this season. The 49ers have won three straight games after losing three straight.
Unfortunately, for the second straight week, the 49ers appear to have lost a safety to a season-ending injury. Last week it was Talanoa Hufanga. This week it was George Odum. Kyle Shanahan said after the game that Odum appears to have torn one of his biceps. That's a tough loss for the 49ers special teams unit and a tough break for Odum.
Here are my quick takeaways from the 49ers' Thanksgiving win:
The 49ers offense feasted on that Thanksgiving opening drive.
The
The San Francisco 49ers kept the train moving on Sunday by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-14. It wasn't a perfect game by the 49ers, but they dominated for the most part. And with a loss by the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers are now back in sole possession of first place in the NFC West. A win in Seattle on Thanksgiving night can put a little more space between the two teams.
There were a lot of things that stood out in this game. Brock Purdy was exceptional. Brandon Aiyuk was unguardable. Fred Warner was disruptive. Here are my live reactions and takeaways:
There are still too many mistakes being made on special teams. The punt return they gave up in the fourth quarter was especially bad.
Nice start by the 49ers' defense. They were good for
Nick Bosa confident ahead of 49ers-Eagles matchup, surprised by Chase Young's quick impact
By David Bonilla
Nov 28
There was significant offseason banter between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles following the NFC Championship Game. While the Eagles came out on top, the 49ers felt they couldn't showcase their true capabilities due to quarterback Brock Purdy's early-game UCL injury in his throwing arm.
The two teams have been on a Week 13 collision course throughout the season, with the possibility of meeting again in the postseason. Sunday's highly anticipated game will showcase two red-hot teams, offering the 49ers a chance to demonstrate what might have been.
"I ain't going to keep going on about what could've happened and what would've happened, but yeah, it would've definitely been a different outcome," remarked 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel during the
49ers Notebook: Nine years later, 49ers get Thanksgiving revenge over Seahawks; Shanahan, Purdy discuss key throws vs. Seahawks; What happened to Christian McCaffrey's helmet?
By Kirk Larrabee
Nov 24
It took nine years, but the San Francisco 49ers finally got some payback on Thursday night for the Seattle Seahawks feasting on turkey after a win at Levi's Stadium in 2014.
The Seahawks' 19-3 win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving in 2014 was the last time either team played on Thanksgiving before Thursday night, and after that game then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman dug into the postgame turkey at the 50-yard line of Levi's Stadium at a time when the rivalry between the two teams was at a peak. The 49ers flipped the script on Thursday, notching a 31-13 win over the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle that was followed by a slew of 49ers getting their fill of Thanksgiving turkey, courtesy of NBC.
"That was a moment I'll remember
