The San Francisco 49ers improved to 4-0 with a 35-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, primarily due to a phenomenal offensive performance where Brock Purdy and Co. scored touchdowns on five of the team's six drives during the game.
Additionally, the defense did just enough, with Javon Hargrave securing the 49ers the win with a crucial third down sack to thwart the Cardinals' offensive momentum, to which the offense responded with consecutive touchdown drives.
However, after the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan was transparent about the 49ers' defense, sharing his belief that they had some ups and downs.
"I thought they had a couple lapses," Shanahan said. "They started out real strong. We had that missed kickoff, I think they got them at the 40, their first score. So, on a short field they got that three that was more a penalty on the kickoff."
Shanahan's biggest gripe with the defense was their performance on the final drive to end the first half, where the Cardinals went 99 yards to score a touchdown and cut the lead to 21-10, eating up the entirety of the clock in the second quarter.
"The most disappointing part was that last drive of the second quarter. We had a couple chances to get them off the field and for them to go 99 and all that time hurt, then the next drive that they got. So they had about two drives in a row that we needed to get better on besides those two drives. They kept them on our end the rest of the game."
Linebacker Fred Warner issued a similar sentiment to his head coach, sharing reservations about the defense's performance before watching the film, pointing to the two-minute drill as an area of improvement.
"The initial feeling right now, I've got to watch it. Situationally, before the half and that two-minute drill, giving up those points and then we have them backed up, we've got to keep them backed up. Especially not giving up a 99-yard drive. There are some things to improve upon for sure, that's it."
The 49ers will face a tough task in Week 5, as they'll host the Dallas Cowboys, who just blew out the New England Patriots 38-3, and will come to San Francisco with revenge on their minds after their loss at Levi's Stadium in the Divisional Round last season.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
