ARIZONA (1-2) at SAN FRANCISCO (3-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE: 49ers by 14, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Cardinals 3-0; 49ers 2-0-1.
SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 34-29.
LAST MEETING: 49ers beat Cardinals 38-13 on Jan. 8, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif.
LAST WEEK: Cardinals beat Cowboys 28-16; 49ers beat Giants 30-12.
CARDINALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (6), PASS (27), SCORING (12)
CARDINALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (26), PASS (21), SCORING (16)
49ERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (3), PASS (10), SCORING (3)
49ERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (3), PASS (13), SCORING (5)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Cardinals plus-3; 49ers plus-4.
CARDINALS PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie WR Michael Wilson has provided the team a taller, more physical receiver that’s been a good complement to shorter, faster receivers such as Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown. A third-round pick out of Stanford, Wilson had a 69-yard catch in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys that helped Arizona earn its first win of the season.
49ERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Christian McCaffrey has rushed for 353 yards for the best total through three games in franchise history. McCaffrey has scored a touchdown in 12 straight games, including the playoffs, to tie Jerry Rice's franchise record. McCaffrey is three games shy of the record of 15 straight games with a TD held by Lenny Moore, O.J. Simpson and John Riggins.
KEY MATCHUP: Cardinals OL vs. 49ers DL. San Francisco dominated the trenches against the Giants last week with Nick Bosa and Javon Hargrave putting constant pressure on Daniel Jones. Joshua Dobbs has been sacked five times in three games for Arizona.
KEY INJURIES: Arizona QB Kyler Murray (knee) is out for at least one more game. He’s on the PUP list and eligible to return for Week 5, though coach Jonathan Gannon hasn’t committed to any timetable for the quarterback. ... Two-time All-Pro S Budda Baker (hamstring) is out and will miss at least the next three games while on injured reserve for the Cardinals. ... Arizona RB James Conner is dealing with a back injury. ... Niners WR Deebo Samuel (knee, ribs) missed practice early in the week and his status is in doubt this week. ... San Francisco WR Brandon Aiyuk is expected to play this week after missing one game with a shoulder injury.
SERIES NOTES: The 49ers swept the series last season for the second time in nine years. ... San Francisco hasn't won three in a row against Arizona since sweeping the series in 2012-13. ... The Cardinals have a 6-3 record at Levi’s Stadium since it opened in 2014.
STATS AND STUFF: Dobbs has completed 73% of his passes for 417 yards and two TDs over the past two games. The 28-year-old won his first game as a starter against the Cowboys. He has a 1-4 career record. ... Cardinals RB James Conner and McCaffrey are the only two players in the NFL with more than 50 carries this season who are averaging more than 5 yards per carry. McCaffrey is at 5.9 ypc while Conner is averaging 5.2. ... The Cardinals defense has 11 sacks through three games, which ranks fifth in the league. They also have 23 passes defended, which ranks second. ... Arizona LB Victor Dimukeje has 2½ sacks this season. The third-year pro had no sacks in his first two seasons. ... The Cardinals have run for 469 yards this season, which is their most on the ground through three games since 1988. ... LB Dennis Gardeck has 11 sacks. That’s one shy of the Cardinals record for an undrafted player. LB Ronald McKinnon had 12. ... The Cardinals have had eight running plays of 20-plus yards, which is the most in the league. ... San Francisco is off to its second 3-0 start in the past 25 seasons. ... The Niners have started 4-0 four times: 1952, 1984, 1990 and 2019. ... The 49ers have won 13 consecutive regular-season games — two shy of the franchise record set in 1989-90. ... San Francisco has won eight consecutive regular-season games in the division for its longest streak since winning 12 in a row in 1997-98. ... The 49ers have allowed a league-low four plays from scrimmage of at least 20 yards. ... San Francisco has scored at least 30 points in each of the first three games of the season for the first time since 1998. ... The Niners allowed 150 yards last week against the Giants for their lowest total in a game since 2017. ... San Francisco QB Brock Purdy has won his first eight regular-season starts. Only Ben Roethlisberger (15) and Mike Tomczak (10) have had longer streaks to start a career. ... Purdy's 127 consecutive passes in the regular season without an INT is the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. ... San Francisco rookie K Jake Moody is 9 for 9 on FGs and is the third player since the merger to make that many without a miss in his first three games.
FANTASY TIP: Niners WR Deebo Samuel has topped 100 yards from scrimmage and scored a TD in each of the past two games. Samuel looks to be back to his form from his All-Pro 2021 season instead of his down campaign last season when he had 100 yards from scrimmage only once in the regular season.
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