GLENDALE, Ariz. – Here is how the 49ers (7-4) graded in Sunday’s 41-22 win over the host Arizona Cardinals (3-7):
PASS OFFENSE: A
Brock Purdy played like “vintage Brock,” said Christian McCaffrey, who then praised just how poised and efficient Purdy was in his return from a six-game absence. Purdy rediscovered his rhythm on the second series by stringing together a 25-yard, third-down conversion to Jauan Jennings, a 13-yarder to Demarcus Robinson and then a 30-yard touchdown shot to George Kittle, who later caught Purdy’s third and final touchdown pass in the third quarter. McCaffrey also had a touchdown catch, but what had everyone beaming more was his savvy route and 15-yard leaping catch for a third-down conversion on the final touchdown drive. Solid blocking kept the Cardinals from sacking Purdy more than once, and his hand escaped any damage when struck in the third series by Josh Sweat.
RUN OFFENSE: B
McCaffrey finally got a 20-yard carry this season, and he celebrated it by scoring on a 4-yard run the next snap. He opened the offensive onslaught with a 1-yard touchdown run behind the blocks of Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz. McCaffrey finished with 81 yards on 13 carries. Brian Robinson had just 24 yards on eight carries, and he appeared to go the wrong direction as Purdy aborted a pitch and instead slid down for a 7-yard loss.
PASS DEFENSE: C
The 49ers didn’t sack Jacoby Brissett and allowed him to make NFL history with a single-game record of 47 completions (57 attempts, 452 yards, two fourth-quarter touchdowns). But offsetting that was the fact Malik Mustapha and Deommodore Lenoir each intercepted Brissett, who entered with the stingiest interception rate (1.3%) in NFL history. Upton Stout gave up a 34-yard catch on the Cardinals’ first touchdown drive, but he more than atoned by forcing a fumble at the 49ers’ 1-yard line in the fourth quarter.
RUN DEFENSE: A
The 49ers knew the Cardinals were not going to run on them, and they didn’t: 36 yards, 14 carries, none longer than seven yards. But now they have to worry about a second-quarter ankle injury that sidelined Tatum Bethune, who was making his fifth start in place of Fred Warner. Curtis Robinson and Luke Gifford also went down briefly with injuries. Zonovan Knight had a 60-yard touchdown run nullified by one of the Cardinals’ 17 penalties; the 49ers got penalized just once, on Renardo Green’s tussle with Trey McBride that got Green temporarily benched and shouted at by his coaches.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Skyy Moore’s 98-yard return of the opening kick set this rout’s tone. Eddy Pineiro left with a hamstring injury to his kicking leg and that is a major concern, since he’s now 21-of-21 on field-goal attempts. Pineiro’s wild ride Sunday: PAT, PAT blocked, PAT missed, 48-yard field goal, 62-yard field goal blocked but nullified by a Cardinals penalty; 47-yard field goal, 47-yard field goal, and PAT that prompts his hamstring injury. Brian Robinson had a 42-yard kick return. The coverage team did allow a 40-yard punt return that the Cardinals couldn’t convert into points.
COACHING: A
Kyle Shanahan directed a season-best 41-point collective that welcomed back Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and an offense that was at full strength for the first time since the season’s first quarter in Seattle. Robert Saleh has to do the heavier lifting each week with so much defensive turnover but this was a much better outing than the six-touchdown fiasco against the Rams last week. Last but not least is special teams coordinator Brant Boyer’s unit perfectly executing a blocking scheme that sprung Moore and this pick-me-up victory.