Up and down the 49ers’ season goes.
The lows? They’ve been fairly low.
However the highs, like Sunday’s 41-22 win over the Cardinals? These are loopy excessive.
What is that this 49ers workforce? Who can say? Week by week, we’re in for a shock.
Sunday offered a optimistic one.
The 49ers’ offense was at its finest within the desert, its protection was opportunistic, its particular groups… did issues, and San Francisco is again within the win column and accountable for their very own playoff future once more.
Right here have been the studs and duds from a giant get-right recreation for the Niners.
STUDS 💪
Deommodore Lenoir • CB
» I’ve been laborious on Lenoir for his play this season, as a result of, frankly, it has been sub-standard for a participant that was presupposed to be at the least Professional Bowl-caliber.
Lenoir was hardly sub-standard on Sunday.
In what was unquestionably his finest recreation of the season, Lenoir was sticky and decisive in protection and offered some good pop within the run recreation. His interception within the third quarter sealed the sport and completely redeemed himself for what may need been his solely dangerous rep of the competition a number of performs earlier than.
With all the difficulty the Niners are going to face once they’re on protection for the rest of the 12 months, that is the Lenoir the Niners want.
Skyy Moore • KR
» His 98-yard kick return to the 1-yard line to open the sport was arguably a very powerful play on this recreation.
What a technique to begin — a mandatory one, I’d argue for the front-running Niners.
George Kittle • TE
» Not solely did the Niners’ tight finish catch a landing of his personal, however he was instrumental on the 49ers’ third landing of the sport, the place he ran a authorized choose to unencumber Christian McCaffrey for an untouched rating.
Kittle ended the sport with six catches for 67 yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers’ offense is at its highest stage when Kittle performs at his finest.
Brock Purdy • QB
» This isn’t to take something away from Mac Jones, who carried out nicely in Purdy’s absence, however the 49ers offense carried a unique dimension on Sunday.
Purdy would possibly make some dangerous performs at instances, however he’s a participant who’s in full management of this assault.
And that, of us, is certainly what the Niners will want shifting ahead.
Christian McCaffrey • RB
» He’ll cede touches when he makes up for all of the carries and catches he missed final 12 months.
The 49ers’ offensive line
» Wholesome and versatile, it has rounded into type and is wanting like one of many higher models within the NFL (not a excessive bar) during the last month or so.
Dee Winters • LB
» Winters has been excellent in overlaying the flats on passing performs this season, and towards Arizona that meant he was examined early and infrequently. I assumed he stood up nicely, as per standard. The Niners’ protection is in a world of harm proper now, however Winters has confirmed himself to be indispensable.
Curtis Robinson • LB
» Stepping in for the injured Tatum Bethune, Robinson turned in a high quality shift at center linebacker.
DUDS 📉
Renardo Inexperienced • CB
» Inexperienced truly had a positive recreation reverse Lenoir, however his want to indicate Trey McBride what the Cardinals tight finish had performed to him on a second-quarter, grabbing his facemask and pushing after a third-down play that ended wanting the sticks was whistled lifeless was an unforgivable mistake.
Ought to McBride have been penalized? In fact. Was Inexperienced going to get away with doing the identical factor? By no means.
Soccer is an emotional and bodily recreation, however the Niners coaches have been justified in benching Inexperienced for the remainder of that sequence, which became three (finally meaningless) Arizona factors.
The Arizona Cardinals
» That is an leisure product. Present up ready to play a division recreation, guys. Seventeen penalties (a Cardinals report), three turnovers, and 0 struggle — that is the sport that may get Jonathan Gannon fired. (By the way in which, when your workforce is being embarrassed, you would possibly wish to say one thing into your headset or present a modicum of emotion… only a thought.)
Niners followers gained’t and shouldn’t care, however that was not an NFL-caliber efficiency.
