SANTA CLARA — As Fred Warner basked Sunday in the 49ers’ 2-0 start, he credited their defense’s clutch finishes to this simple task: “Nobody has to be Superman.”
Next up in Sunday’s home opener is Arizona’s Kyler Murray, who’s been a kryptonite of sorts for the 49ers.
OK, he’s only 4-4 against the 49ers, and he’s yet to serve as Arizona’s No. 1-pick superhero from the 2019 NFL Draft. Murray, however, has the Cardinals also off to a 2-0 start, and he’s coming off a season sweep of the 49ers’ last season.
“Our ‘What It Takes’ meeting is very much about him,” and what he brings to the table, how we need to rush him, and how we need to take care of the QB run game and the run game as a whole,” said defensive Nick Bosa, the No. 2 pick in 2019.
“The thing with Kyler obviously is his legs and the ability to make the off-schedule plays,” Warner added. “That’s always kind of given us fits. … He’s slippery.”
While the 49ers’ defense braces for Murray to pass or run, the Niners’ offense is still awaiting whether Brock Purdy or Mac Jones will be its quarterback, though Purdy has practiced back-to-back days after sitting out Week 2 with a toe injury.
Murray’s arm produced his best outing against the 49ers and in their most recent matchup: a four-touchdown, 242-yard effort in Arizona’s 47-24 season-closing win Jan. 5. Three months earlier, Murray sparked the Cardinals’ 24-23 win at Levi’s Stadium with a 50-yard touchdown run on their second snap.
“I would say it’s a great vibe there (in Santa Clara). Great vibe, beautiful stadium, (and) fans are always electric,” Murray told Arizona reporters this week, after apologizing for a controversial social-media post of him pictured in a Michael Vick jersey beside his dogs.
The 49ers went 3-1 against Murray in his first two seasons while Robert Saleh served as their defensive coordinator. Saleh’s return to that role this season has delivered immediate success with varied and less predictable looks.
“I’m excited about the plan this week,” Bosa said. “I think Saleh’s been good at it before, so he’s got some good tricks up his sleeve.”
“Anytime you’ve got a quarterback like Kyler, regardless of how the game’s going or how good you’re doing schematically, you never know when he can unlock something and get an off-schedule,” coach Kyle Shanahan added.
The 49ers defense has yet to produce an interception, having opened against their 2023 backup, Sam Darnold (Seattle), and then denied New Orleans’ Spencer Rattler his first career win last Sunday.
Murray has thrown 12 touchdown passes and five interceptions against the 49ers, while his mobility has resulted in three rushing touchdowns and an average of 7.4 yards per carry (57 for 422 yards).
“He’s going to make his plays. We just have to limit the damage,” said Warner, the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week for last Sunday’s dominance in New Orleans (11 tackles, forced fumble, fumble recovery, pass breakup).
Murray is not the one-man band of past seasons. He’s complemented by tight end Trey McBride, running backs James Conner and Trey Benson, and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Stanford product Michael Wilson.
Whereas Bosa and Bryce Huff notched sacks in 2.6 seconds and 2.44 seconds to seal the first two wins, respectively, Bosa noted the 49ers may exercise patience with their pass rush, as they did in a 2023 upset against Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts.
“It is counterintuitive to do that when rushing,” Bosa said. “He likes to bail back. He likes to spin out. So you just have to be aware.”
General manager John Lynch is beaming with pride over the defense’s start. “I love the style we’re playing with,” Lynch told KNBR 680-AM. “We’re playing our brand, which is running to the football, arriving with bad intentions and getting a lot of people there. … They’re playing smart and not leaving big lanes to escape, which is going to be key against a guy like Kyler. The plays can go a long time with Kyler Murray.”
The quarterback hype train won’t end here.
The 49ers’ next four opponents feature a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall – the Cardinals’ Murray (2019), the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence (2021), the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford (2009; Detroit Lions), the Tampa Bay Bucs’ Baker Mayfield (2018; Cleveland Browns). On the horizon are: Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young (2023), Week 15 vs. the Tennessee Titans’ Cam Ward (2025), and Week 17 against the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams (2024).
Murray is 119 yards shy of reaching 20,000 in his career. Only three quarterbacks reached that mark with the 49ers: Joe Montana (35,124), John Brodie (31,548) and Steve Young (29,907). Brock Purdy is at 9,795; Mac Jones has 279.