The San Francisco 49ers are back in control of the NFC West and appear to be discovering their best form at exactly the right time having surged to the top of their division with a dominant victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
While the 49ers’ minority ownership of Leeds United has yet to see them grace Elland Road, San Francisco turned Estadio Azteca – the cathedral of Mexican football – into a second home on Monday.
Niners fans filled the stands in Mexico City, where the Cardinals were supposed to be the designated home team for the final international game of the NFL season, and they were rewarded with arguably San Francisco’s finest performance of the campaign.
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Having lost both of their games with the Cardinals in 2021, the 49ers cruised to a 38-10 win over an Arizona team that looked undermanned and overmatched throughout.
It was a game in which the Niners spectacularly harnessed the impact of the plethora of offensive talent they have at their disposal following the trade for running back Christian McCaffrey last month.
McCaffrey – an excellent pass-catcher – and San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel, renowned for his ability to excel playing as a de-facto running back, frequently lined up in the backfield together, with the Cardinals failing to contain either player.
Indeed, McCaffrey and Samuel each finished with over 100 yards from scrimmage, the latter finding the endzone for the fourth time this season on a 39-yard rushing touchdown on a perfectly executed end around play.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw four touchdowns as wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle each scored twice, the 49ers leaning on the passing game in the first half before pivoting to the rushing attack to solidify their command of the contest in the second.
That balanced and explosive display from Kyle Shanahan’s offense was supplemented by yet another excellent showing by DeMeco Ryans’ defense.
For the third successive game, the San Francisco defense did not allow a point in the second half as an Arizona offense led by backup quarterback Colt McCoy proved ill-equipped to move the ball effectively against a fearsome opponent.
Safety Jimmie Ward registered an interception of McCoy that set up Kittle’s first touchdown in the second quarter. Late in the fourth quarter with the result a foregone conclusion, rookie cornerback Samuel Womack III – a favourite of British fan group 49erFaithfulUK – picked off Trace McSorley for his first career interception, capping off a game that saw San Francisco’s defense dictate matters in the trenches and take away any easy passing game options for the Cardinals while completely shutting down their ground attack.
The superb all-round performance moved the 49ers to 6-4 and to the top of the NFC West, ahead of the Seattle Seahawks courtesy of San Francisco’s head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle.
San Francisco’s 4-0 record inside the division gives the Niners an edge in their fight with the Seahawks for the division title, and to maintain that advantage they will need to slow down one of the NFL’s most talented running backs in Week 12 when they host Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints.
Whereas the Niners appear poised to contest the postseason for the third time in four seasons, the Saints have looked anything but playoff contenders in a significantly disappointing first season under head coach Dennis Allen.
Some saw the Saints as Super Bowl contenders going into the year but, though they got the better of a depleted Los Angeles Rams team last Sunday, a 4-7 record through 11 games is only good enough for third place in the NFC South, two games in the loss column behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Yet 49ers head coach Shanahan is certainly not taking New Orleans lightly.
“Just starting with their defense, they look like a Dennis Allen team,” Shanahan said in Wednesday’s press conference.
“They've been, to me, one of the best defenses in the league here over the last five or six years. I don't think their numbers are quite there as they usually are, but I think a lot of that has to do with they've been missing about seven starters a number of these games, but they are as tough and physical and as sound as anyone we played this year.
“Offensively, starting with Kamara, [tight end] Taysom Hill, those two guys right there account for half their explosives, half their touchdowns. [Quarterback] Andy Dalton is a guy I have a lot of respect for. They've lost some close games, they've had some very unfortunate injuries, but I think we have our work cut out for us, without a doubt."
The 49ers are allowing just 3.37 yards per carry this season, making theirs comfortably the best run defense in the NFL by that measure. Given the manner in which the 49ers shut down the Cardinals’ screen game on Monday, Kamara may find it difficult to make an impact on the ground or as a receiver.
But playing on a short week having only arrived back in the Bay Area from Mexico City around 6:00 am on Tuesday, Shanahan and the Niners know they can ill-afford complacency against a team that, despite their record, still has the talent to punish them for any let-up.
A defeat for the 49ers would give the Seahawks the chance to regain the initiative in the division with Seattle facing a 3-7 Las Vegas Raiders team on Sunday and raise questions around the Super Bowl credentials San Francisco have demonstrated in recent weeks.
The continued absence of defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who was again missing from practice on Wednesday with a foot injury, is a concern the Saints could look to exploit in attacking a defensive line that is light on depth on the interior.
But that is essentially the sole issue the 49ers face going into Week 12. Monday’s performance saw one of the most talented teams in the NFL playing their best football of the season. Riding a three-game win streak that has featured two blowout victories, there is little to suggest the Niners will not extend that run provided they shake off any lingering fatigue from their journey across the border and stay in the right mindset.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Kyle Shanahan, asked if he spotted Brandon Aiyuk accidentally hitting a cameraman where it hurts with the ball while celebrating his second touchdown against the Cardinals.
"Yeah, I did. It was hilarious. I thought it was very funny. Glad he wasn't hurt, but I'm glad B.A. handled it right. Shows he's a caring person. He wasn't too amped up, it kind of ruined his touchdown dance, but I think he felt bad about it."
MVP OF THE WEEK: Jimmy Garoppolo
The oft-maligned quarterback continues to play at an extremely high level, with his four touchdown passes just reward for a performance in which he was extremely composed under the pressure and decisive throwing the ball while showing the ambition to attack downfield he has often been accused of lacking. Between Shanahan’s play-calling talents, the strength of the offensive line and the litany of weapons around him, Garoppolo boasts arguably the best support system in the NFL, and he is taking full advantage of it.
STAT OF THE WEEK: 54
The 49ers have outscored their opponents 54-0 in the second half over their last three games.
Only one other team in the last 40 years has shut out their opponents by at least that margin in the second half over a three-game period, the Green Bay Packers (56-0) doing so during the 2001 campaign.
EXIT INTERVIEW:
Each week Leeds Live poses five questions to a 49er. This week, we put our exit interview to right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Want your question added to the exit survey? Let us know in the comments section below.
Favourite musical artist? The Eagles… my favourite band of all time.
Favourite movie (movie seen the most)? Gladiator!
Favourite non-football athlete? [laughing] Rory McIlroy
Favourite College Football memory? In my fifth-year, we [Notre Dame] smacked USC at home, and we ran for like 500 yards or something like that.
Funniest guy in the locker room? There are implications here… Jimmie Ward. Ah, no. Q-Knight [practice squad cornerback Qwuantrezz Knight].
Most famous person in your cellphone? Jon Bon Jovi… well, his family
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