The San Francisco 49ers are entering a portion of their schedule where they can stack wins and gain separation from the other playoff contenders. Step one of that is complete after a blowout win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Thanks to that victory and a loss by the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, the Niners are back in the playoff race, after falling to the eight seed last week.

ESPN’s FPI projections have the 49ers finishing with 11 wins, with a 90 percent chance of making the postseason. There’s still a 19 percent chance to win the division,...

The San Francisco 49ers offense got healthy and then put together its first 40-point game since the 2023 season.

Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense used some consistently good field position and plenty of mistakes from the Arizona Cardinals en route to the 41-22 blowout victory to move San Francisco to 7-4 and 4-1 in the NFC West.

While it was the offense that put up the points, we start our three stars on the defense:

Third star: CB Deommodore Lenoir

The 49ers haven’t had much luck this season at forcing interceptions, but on Sunday, the defense tripled its interception...

The 49ers needed that. Sure, it’s the Cardinals, and they have their issues, but just once, we didn’t need a divisional game coming down to the wire. Unfortunately, while the 49ers took care of business, the Los Angeles Rams did the same against the Seattle Seahawks. That puts the Rams at 8-2 and in first place, while the 49ers remain in third place.

Things will shake themselves out once the 49ers go on bye, because that extra loss is what has them behind Seattle. The good news is that the Rams’ schedule gets tougher, while the 49ers get some easier...

‘It’s a meathead thing’: 49ers players won’t give up smelling salts, even after NFL rule (paywall)
“Undrafted San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, in street clothes, received his introduction in the form of an ammonia capsule the size of a small stick of gum.

All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa approached Valdez with an important job ahead of the team’s season opener in Seattle: “You’re the guy this week,” Bosa told Valdez, before handing him a bottle of smelling salts, which players believe can provide a jolt of energy and improve their focus.

A month prior to the start of...

The San Francisco 49ers put on a show on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, scoring 41 points on 12 drives, generating three turnovers, and having a 98-yard kickoff return. Are the 49ers back? Let’s get into some overreactions from Week 11.

The 49ers’ special teams are still spectacularly bad!

The game began with a 98-yard kickoff return from Skyy Moore. Brian Robinson added a 42-yarder later in the game. Thomas Morstead had three punts averaging 46 yards, with one going 55 yards. It’s difficult to have a bad game after that, but the special teams units found a...

The San Francisco 49ers blew out the Arizona Cardinals 41-22 in Brock Purdy’s return to action, dominating on both sides of the ball to return to the win column.

Offensively, head coach Kyle Shanahan called a great game, and Purdy executed for the most part with 200 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the 49ers forced three turnovers and neutralized the run game, leading to a one-sided affair on Sunday.

Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers 41-22 win over the Cardinals.

Purdy to Kittle connection is back

Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense had a quick start, scoring touchdowns...

Dan Campbell took over as the play-caller for the Detroit Lions last week in DC, and they put it on the Washington Commanders 44-22. But Jared Goff, fresh off throwing for 320 yards, won’t have the services of his safety blanket, Sam LaPorta.

On the flip side, the Philadelphia Eagles escaped Lambeau Field with a 10-7 victory last week. Jalen Hurts has gone two games in a row without throwing for 200 yards. It might be tough sledding once again. But if there’s an area where Hurts shines, it’s against man-to-man coverage. And that’s what Detroit runs.

Heading into tonight,...

The San Francisco 49ers did something in Week 11 that they hadn’t done since Week 5. They took a lead in the first quarter. The offense took the field at the two-yard line after a 98-yard kickoff return by Skyy Moore. Christian McCaffrey punched it in, and San Francisco had an early 7-0 lead.

After the Cardinals only picked up 12 yards on their first offensive drive, the offense looked like the unit we expected on the second series. Brock Purdy found Jauan Jennings for 25 yards, Demarcus Robinson for 13 yards, and then audibled into a slot fade to...

The San Francisco 49ers are on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. A blowout feels too good to be true. The Cardinals are a divisional opponent who just gave up 44 points. The Niners should expect the best effort from Arizona today, especially at home.

If there were ever a defense you’d want to play after struggling the week prior, it’s the 49ers. They have been hovering around the bottom of the league in most metrics since losing Fred Warner. They’ll have Deommodore Lenoir today. Arizona will be without Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones. Something has to give, right?...

After not practicing on Friday due to a calf injury, San Francisco 49ers starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir will play this afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals. Here are today’s inactives:

RB Jordan James
WR Jordan Watkins
OL Connor Colby
DL Clelin Ferrell
DL Kevin Givens
CB Eli Apple

Clelin Ferrell and Kevin Givens were not listed on the injury report this week, making them healthy scratches. Givens (28) and Ferrell (24) played meaningful snaps in a divisional game last week against the Los Angeles Rams.

CJ West played a season-high 29 snaps last week. Second-round pick Alfred Collins did not play....

We haven’t done predictions as a staff all season. What better time to bring them back than the second half of the season? The San Francisco 49ers are slight road favorites against the Arizona Cardinals. It’s a tricky line, as both teams are coming off blowout losses.

Here are our predictions about what will happen on Sunday.

Kyle’s prediction: 49ers 27, Cardinals 20

The 49ers couldn’t ask for a better matchup on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the 49ers face a defense that is 21st in passing efficiency and 25th in pressure rate. It’s also a defense that’s middle...

49ers promote DL Clelin Ferrell to face Cardinals, waive QB Adrian Martinez
“Ferrell has appeared in three games this season (two with the 49ers). The team is promoting Ferrell to the active roster, so he will not return to the practice squad after this game. In his three games this season, Ferrell has one sack, five tackles, and one QB hit. The 49ers will need him to be part of the rotation on a thin defensive line, due to multiple injuries.”

Brian Robinson Jr. thriving in new role as 49ers’ offense continues to take shape (paywall)
“I mean, I knew...