49ers win thriller over Cardinals: Rapid reactions

It wasn't pretty, but the San Francisco 49ers are 3-0, beating the Arizona Cardinals 16-15 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. It may not seem impressive, but when you consider the many injuries the team has already endured, the fact that Kyle Shanahan has his team undefeated through three games (two on the road) and 2-0 in the division is something worth taking notice of. When this team gets healthy, they will be a tough team to beat.

Here are my rapid reactions. These are my live, and sometimes emotional, thoughts as the game progressed. Grab a seat and relive the 49ers' victory with me.

• Mykel Williams with the big stop on 3rd down. But the Cardinals convert on 4th down.
• Nice job by the defense to get off the field without any points given up on the first drive.
• Mac Jones took a big hit on the 49ers' first 3rd down. If they lose him, they're really in trouble.
• Thomas Morstead has been sneaky good for the 49ers so far this season.
• Kalia Davis almost had James Conner stopped in the backfield on third down, but he missed the tackle. Conner has been a problem for the 49ers the last couple of seasons.
• Well, the 49ers' defense still hasn't figured out how to contain Kyle Murray when he takes off running.
• Nick Bosa limped off the field. He's headed for the blue medical tent.
• Nice job by Skyy Moore making a man miss on that punt return. That gives the offense a little breathing room.
• The 49ers' offense is not clicking. Two drives. Two three-and-outs.
• They just showed Bosa giving a thumbs down. And now he's headed to the locker room. That's a bad sign.

• Bosa has a knee injury and is questionable to return.
• The Cardinals strike first with a field goal.
• And now Williams is headed to the locker room. He's questionable to return with a wrist injury. This is insane.
• The San Francisco run game just can't get going. That makes Jones' job even harder.
• Eddy Piñeiro ties it up with a field goal of his own.

• Curtis Robinson is a special teams stud.
• Alfred Collins flashing on that 3rd and one. Nice stop by the 49ers' defense.
• In case you haven't heard, Fred Warner is a problem for opposing offenses.

• Jones is running the offense well. He's not the problem. The problem is the number of injuries and the lack of a run game.
• Ricky Pearsall is smooth!

• Where would the 49ers be without Kendrick Bourne? Next week, they should get Demarcus Robinson back. And maybe Jauan Jennings and Brock Purdy. But Bourne was a nice pick-up.
• Piñeiro makes another one, and somehow, the 49ers have the lead despite a rough first half.

• Sack! Bryce Huff closes out the first half the same way he closed out the win in New Orleans.

• That was a fast first half. The 49ers get the ball first to begin the second half.
• By the way, Williams returned to the game before the half. That's a relief.
• A nice run by Christian McCaffrey is negated by a holding penalty. That's not how you want to start the second half.
• But a pass to McCaffrey makes up for it. First down.
• The drive goes nowhere, though, and the 49ers begin the second half with a punt.
• Sorry to see Conner go down. That looked bad.
• Busted coverage by the defense, but fortunately, Marvin Harrison, Jr. dropped the ball.
• Williams is back and coming up big on third down.

• But the defense can't get off the field on fourth down. With a tiny lead, each play is big.
• And the Cardinals just had a big play and are now inside the 15-yard line. The 49ers are about to lose their lead.
• The 49ers have caught some breaks with these dropped passes. But the Cardinals still tie it.
• Pearsall is always open—even when he's not.

• 49ers turn it over on downs at the goal line. What a horrible end to a great drive. I hated the call, too. Why was Jones in the shotgun at the one-yard line?

• Williams comes up big again.
• What a catch by Pearsall. He has incredible hands.

• Beautiful play on the touchdown to Kyle Juszczyk. The 49ers take the lead.

• Stop kicking the ball into the end zone!
• That's the second time Harrison has been wide open. This time, he catches it.
• The defense folded when the 49ers needed them to come through that time. We're tied again. This is stressful.
• Isaac Guerendo never breaks tackles. I feel like I write this every week.
• Nice run by Brian Robinson. Colton McKivitz was burying people on that play.

• Oh, wow, what a terrible time to throw a pick.

• Dee Winters, wow. What a hit!
• Warner and the defense with a huge stop. The offense will get another shot.
• Moore should have let that ball go into the end zone. The 49ers are backed up now.
• Oh my gosh, what a horrible way to lose the game—with a safety.

• I'm not sure how Jones got out of the end zone with that bum knee.
• What a play by the rookie Upton Stout. The 49ers will get one more chance.

• If Moore had let the ball go into the end zone last time, there wouldn't have been a safety. I'm just glad he made the right choice this time. The 49ers have the ball at the 20-yard line.
• The offense is on the move. There's hope.
• Bourne with two big catches. Jones is cooking right now.
• Huge gain by McCaffrey. The 49ers are in field goal range.

• What a drive by Jones and the offense. Can the new kicker win this?
• Piñeiro wins it. He's the anti-Jake Moody. What a finish. And the 49ers are in first place.

• That was a massive win by Mac Jones. What a gutsy performance. He threw the ball 41 times.
• And don't forget about Pearsall. He had eight catches for 117 yards.

That was a great team win, but the 49ers have to get healthy, and they have to get better. Up next, the 49ers will host the Jacksonville Jaguars. San Francisco will have Robinson back, so the wide receiver room will be better.

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