Arizona
Cardinals
0-2
45
FINAL
35
San Francisco
49ers
0-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling matchup in Week 3 of the 2026 season, the Arizona Cardinals topped the San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 45-35. This victory puts the Cardinals in a strong position early in the season, showcasing their offensive firepower while the 49ers aim to bounce back after a tough loss.
Brock Purdy delivered a standout performance for the 49ers, throwing for 342 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to spread the ball effectively. However, it was Elijah Higgins of the Cardinals who stole the show, racking up 145 receiving yards and becoming a constant threat downfield. The offensive duel was intense, but the Cardinals managed to outpace their opponents in key moments.
Defensively, the 49ers struggled to contain the Cardinals' explosive plays, although Nick Bosa made his presence felt with four sacks. The turning point in the game came when Dadrion Taylor-Demerson intercepted Purdy, setting up a crucial touchdown that gave Arizona a commanding lead. Despite the 49ers' efforts, including a strong tackling performance from Marques Sigle, it wasn't enough to overcome the Cardinals' relentless offense.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | QB | 34 | 21 | 62% | 342 | 4 | 2 | 110.1 |
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 18 | 12 | 67% | 253 | 2 | 0 | 146.7 |
| Carson Beck | QB | 9 | 6 | 67% | 108 | 1 | 0 | 144.6 |
| Jacoby Brissett | QB | 1 | 1 | 100% | 37 | 1 | 0 | 158.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | HB | 16 | 67 | 4.2 | 17 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Derrick Henry | HB | 9 | 35 | 3.9 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | — | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ricky Pearsall | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Kittle | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 9 | 145 | 16.1 | 45 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Ja'Kobi Lane | WR | 4 | 116 | 29.0 | 29 | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| Mike Evans | WR | 3 | 79 | 26.3 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| Ricky Pearsall | WR | 4 | 77 | 19.3 | 28 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| George Kittle | TE | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 35 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Christian McCaffrey | HB | 8 | 73 | 9.1 | 57 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 2 | 71 | 35.5 | 8 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| Michael Wilson | WR | 3 | 62 | 20.7 | 39 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Jake Tonges | TE | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 12 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 18 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Derrick Henry | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Bosa | LEDG | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Marques Sigle | SS | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Baron Browning | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osa Odighizuwa | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Albert Regis | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deommodore Lenoir | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dre Greenlaw | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Gibbens | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fred Warner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ji'Ayir Brown | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Andrew Wingard | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mykel Williams | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kitan Crawford | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zaven Collins | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Upton Stout | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Simon | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Mustapha | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Karson Sharar | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kei'Trel Clark | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Renardo Green | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Melton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaden Dugger | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Proctor | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy Pineiro | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 43 |
| Chad Ryland | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 |

