Niners Nation
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 games. The two most challenging games left on the 49ers’ schedule are the Indianapolis Colts and the Seahawks. None of the other remaining games are gimmies, but if the 49ers are as good as we hope they are, that should be enough for them to clinch a playoff spot. And the NFC West is still up for grabs.
That loss to the Rams may haunt the 49ers, though.
LOL Cardinals. That sums up that game. Now, to be fair, they did make some NFL history yesterday. Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett went 47-57 (82 percent completion) for 452 yards. That is the most completions in NFL history. Add two touchdowns and zero sacks taken, and one has to wonder exactly what happened to get (only) a 96.8 rating.
Well, two interceptions can do it. Both of which were terrible throws. The 49ers’ special teams (of all things) showing up doesn’t help matters. Add in Brock Purdy and the 49ers taking minutes away from everyone’s lives when they had the ball with long drives, and that might explain everything.
Oh, and 17 penalties. A Cardinals franchise record. One of which wiped out a 4th-down scamper that would have been a touchdown otherwise. I guess having a team with an injured list longer than the 49ers is also a recipe for a loss.
So while Brissett made NFL history Sunday, a lot of other things were not going his or the Cardinals’ way.
As for the 49ers, if the offense can continue to do THAT, they can win a game or two in the postseason. Keep in mind, whenever Brandon Aiyuk gets healthy (should he get healthy this season), it’s another weapon for Purdy to throw to. The Cardinals are not a good offense, and the fact that Brissett had those numbers should tell you all you need to know about the 49ers’ pass rush. Is the secondary not that good either? Well, if you can’t get to the quarterback, the secondary is going to suffer. The 49ers offense will need to carry things from here on out. It’s hard to really gauge how good the offense is with all he injuries the Cardinals were dealing with and all the bonehead decisions they made throughout the day, but it was certainly promising.
If you knew nothing about this game, what would your...
