The San Francisco 49ers are firing on all cylinders in 2023, and with their 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, improve to 4-0 for the first time since the 2019 season. The team's 35 points scored accomplished a franchise first for San Francisco - this is first 49ers team to score 30-or-more points in each of the first four games of the season.
The offense was clicking early with quarterback Brock Purdy connecting on all but one of his pass attempts on Sunday, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk catching all six passes thrown his way for a career-high 148 yards and running back Christian McCaffrey securing four red zone touchdowns (three in the first half).
The defense certainly did its part as well, limiting Arizona to just six points in the second half. The two plays of the day on that side of the ball included a two-point conversion stop by safety Talanoa Hufanga and a sack by defensive lineman Javon Hargrave for a loss of eight yards in the fourth quarter.
The highest graded players from Sunday's game were Aiyuk, McCaffrey and defensive lineman Nick Bosa, who all recorded top marks in Pro Football Focus' weekly grades.
Here's the breakdown on the top performers from Week 4:
Top Offensive Performer: WR Brandon Aiyuk and RB Christian McCaffrey
After missing Week 3 due to a shoulder injury, Aiyuk made up for his absence in resounding fashion. His six catches for 148 yards was a career high for fourth-year pro and earned him a 93.4 overall grade, the highest mark of all players from the Week 4 contest. Aiyuk's 93.4 overall grade also represents the highest single-week PFF grade of his NFL career.
McCaffrey was not far behind Aiyuk, coming away with a 91.0 overall grade for his four-touchdown performance against the Cardinals. The dual-threat running back finished with 20 carries for 106 yards and three scores on the ground in addition to his seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown through the air. Additionally, he overtook Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice's franchise record of 12-straight games scoring one-or-more touchdowns. He now owns the 49ers record with a 13-game streak.
Top Defensive Performers: DL Nick Bosa
The 49ers defensive line didn't rack up the sacks in Week 4 but answered the call of defending an aggressive running attack headlined by Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running back James Conner. The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year claimed the top mark on the defensive side of the ball with an 89.6 overall grade. Bosa had five total hits on Sunday that included four quarterback hits and a hurry.
