The San Francisco 49ers built a 17-point third-quarter lead over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, and they needed every bit of that cushion to escape with a 36-30 victory to move to 3-0 on the year
San Francisco got what it needed from Brock Purdy, who threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns, and Christian McCaffrey, who chipped in a rushing score. But the Cardinals refused to go away, riding 280 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Jacoby Brissett to claw back within striking distance before San Francisco closed it out in the final minutes.
While San Francisco won this game, there were still some aspects of this game and performances to pick apart.
K Eddy Pineiro
Pineiro made his lone field-goal attempt but missed two of five point-after
tries, a jarring afternoon for a kicker who entered the day 8-for-8 on PATs and 2-for-3 on field goals this season. The 49ers gave him a contract extension this offseason, so it would take a complete meltdown for him to be replaced.
Secondary
Brissett carved up San Francisco's back end for 280 yards and two scores, with Michael Wilson and Trey McBride combining to move the chains underneath and over the middle all afternoon. It's the second straight week the group has been exposed, having allowed 287 yards through the air to Miami a week ago. Cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green were injured, too.
RB Kaelon Black
The rookie didn't have a good day in this third NFL game. Black averaged 4.3 yards per carry against a run defense ranked 21st in the league, but he only turned four carries into 17 yards and didn't factor into the passing game at all. The 49ers haven't gone back to the rookie much since his big debut in Week 1, so he'll need to pop off in his limited opportunities if he wants to see the field more.
Fourth-quarter defense
San Francisco surrendered 17 points in the final period alone, letting a Cardinals team stick around and push the 49ers for the lead. Fortunately, the offense was dealing and two George Kittle touchdowns in the fourth quarter helped mitigate the defensive lapses before the special teams sealed it after hauling in the onside kick.
WR Mike Evans' health
Evans opened the game with an early touchdown catch, but he left in the first half with a rib injury and didn't return — the latest entry in the injury-riddled stretch that shadowed his free-agent arrival in San Francisco. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't have a big update on the injury, either, after the game. With the receiving corps already thin, the 49ers need their veteran on the field.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Worst performers from 49ers' ugly win vs. Cardinals in Week 3
