Stock Rising/Falling: 49ers Temperature Checks after Week 3
The San Francisco 49ers finally made it home in Week 3 to host the visiting Arizona Cardinals. It wasn’t pretty, but the Niners remained undefeated with a gut check 16-15 win. Coming off a hard fought victory, we examine who’s hot, who’s cold, and who’s lingering in the middle.
Hot
Kyle Shanahan
When you look at artwork, you believe that the artist had every necessary tool at his disposal. For the past two weeks, Kyle Shanahan has not had even close to a full toolbox, and yet, when it mattered most, has been able to create magic with personnel that is limited. His fourth quarter play-calling on Sunday was stellar, specifically the screen to Christian McCaffrey that went for 20 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.
Mac Jones
While he certainly hasn't been perfect, Mac Jones' performance in relief of Brock Purdy has been excellent, especially in the most critical moments. In two games, Jones has run three incredibly efficient two-minute drills that resulted in points. Against the Cardinals, Jones' final drive was exceptional, getting the ball out quickly to get down the field. He played with grit on Sunday, running the offense on one leg in the fourth quarter with a visibly injured knee.
Mykel Williams
On Sunday, Williams was everything the 49ers hoped he would be when they took him with the 11th overall pick in April. He was light on the stat sheet with only two tackles, but he flashed in the biggest moments and definitely shouldered the load on the defensive front when Nick Bosa exited the game with a knee injury.
Ricky Pearsall
With eight catches for 117 yards, Pearsall was Jones’ safety net against the Cardinals. His highlight came early in the fourth quarter with an incredible 34 yard over-the-shoulder catch on 4th and 2 that would have made San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays proud.
Eddy Pineiro
Be honest, you weren’t confident when Piniero lined up for the final field goal attempt. His 35-yard kick was perfect from the moment it left his foot, and instilled confidence in the Faithful that the recent kicking concerns may be a thing of the past. Seeing Pineiro carried off of the field by his teammates was refreshing to say the least.
Mild
Upton Stout
Stout had some busted coverages on the day, but was assisted with Marvin Harrison Jr’s bad hands to bail him out. But he stepped up in the defense’s biggest moment, causing a pass break up to Zay Jones that if caught, would have secured an Arizona victory.
CMC Usage
Christian McCaffrey was again the bell cow for the 49ers offense, and made some critical plays down the stretch. But with CMC garnering 27 touches on Sunday, the concern becomes about his durability. Brian Robinson Jr. showed his capabilities with a massive 19-yard run late, but finished the game with only two carries.
Cold
Renardo Green
Green has become a fixture in this spot so far this season. He struggled again versus the Cardinals, with his most notable play coming when he was beat in coverage and ran through Marvin Harrison Jr. causing a devastating pass interference call that gave Arizona the ball at the 1-yard line, setting up the game-tying touchdown.
Injuries, again
It’s clear at this point that this team can’t have nice things, and Sunday was no exception. This week, it was Nick Bosa’s turn to have the Faithful sweat, exiting the game early with a knee injury. We will hold our collective breath awaiting the results of an MRI to see the severity and how much time will be missed. Mykel Williams and CJ West also left briefly, but did return.
Early Offensive production
Through the second quarter, the defense was looking gassed, and with good reason. At the eight minute mark in the second quarter, the 49ers had only run six plays in total. While the defense has been able to slow the opposing offenses, getting them off the field is a must to keep them healthy and ensure they maintain their production.