The San Francisco 49ers remain undefeated in the NFC West, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 38-10 in Mexico City.
Ward, Womack III Notch Their First Interceptions of the 2022 Season
The veteran defensive back, Jimmie Ward, made a huge play midway through the second quarter of Monday's game, picking off Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy and setting up the 49ers on Arizona's 46 yard line. The interception marks the fifth of Ward's nine-year career and his first of the 2022 season. Garoppolo and the offense scored on the ensuing drive; the 49ers quarterback hit tight end George Kittle on a scramble play to punch in a 39-yard touchdown.
As Arizona entered the red zone late in the fourth quarter, the rookie cornerback came up with his first-career interception. On 3rd & 11, Samuel Womack III jumped up to intercept Cardinals quarterback Trace McSorley in the end zone. With the takeaway, the 49ers have now shut out opposing offenses to zero points in the second half for three consecutive games.
The Aiyuk Hot Streak Continues
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk extended his streak of 80-or-more receiving yards for a fifth-straight game and hauled in two touchdowns versus Arizona. His two-score night was the second of his career; Aiyuk recorded his first multi-touchdown game in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.
The third-year wideout got San Francisco on the board in the second quarter, hauling in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo. His second TD came in the final minute of the third quarter. The wideout caught a 13-yard pass from Garoppolo to put San Francisco ahead 31-10. Aiyuk has been the 49ers most consistent pass catcher through the first 11 weeks of the season and leads the team in receiving yards with 587 on the year.
Kittle Scores Touchdown No. 4 of the Season
One of Mexico's most loved NFL players gave the crowd at Estadio Azteca something to get loud about in the first half of Monday night's game. In the second quarter, Kittle capped off the 49ers three-play, 46-yard drive with a 39-yard touchdown reception, a season long catch for the tight end.
Kittle's second score of the night came in the fourth quarter on a 32-yard pass from Garoppolo. The touchdown was the fourth of the season for the tight end.
Bosa Adds One More to the Sack Count
The Nick Bosa sack count for 2022 reached 10.5 after a second quarter takedown of McCoy. The defensive end's sack of McCoy was good for a loss of 12 yards and marked the final play of the first half. Bosa has now registered a sack in eight of the nine games he's played in this season. He has the second-most sacks in the league, second only to Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots, who has racked up 13.0 on the year.
Samuel is Dangerous Out of the Backfield
The wideback delivered a tremendous 39-yard rushing touchdown run on the 49ers opening drive of the second half. Deebo Samuel took the reverse all the way down the sideline to extend San Francisco's lead to 24-10 with 10:34 to go in the third quarter. He closed out the night with 37 rushing yards on three carries and 57 yards on seven receptions.
Garoppolo Records His Fifth 100+ Passer Rating of the Season
The 49ers signal caller completed 20-of-29 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns against the Cardinals, earning a 131.9 passer rating. Jimmy Garoppolo's 131.9 rating is his second-highest mark of the season (132.5 rating vs. the Los Angeles Rams) and the fifth 100+ rating in his eight games of the year. Garoppolo connected with six receivers and spread out the touches between five different ball carriers on Monday night.
McCaffrey Picks Up the Bulk of the Reps on Offense
The 49ers running back had 14 total touches against the Cardinals, leading all of San Francisco's offensive players. Christian McCaffrey had seven carries for 39 yards and added another 67 receiving yards on seven catches. The 49ers had hoped McCaffrey and running back Elijah Mitchell could become the one-two punch on the ground, and for a second-straight game the running back duo has done just that. Mitchell had nine carries for 59 yards, and as an added bonus, Samuel contributed another 37 yards and a touchdown.
Purdy Ends the Night
Backup quarterback Brock Purdy came in with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The former "Mr. Irrelevant" ended the night with three rushing yards to lock in the 49ers 38-10 win over the Cardinals.
