You want to crown the 49ers, go ahead. They won another NFC West title, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs and their first Super Bowl championship since 1995 are within reach. They’re 11-3, winners of six straight and the team to beat in the NFC.
Yet within a 45-29 road win against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, the fickle nature of football and how things can go sideways, simply because of the nature of the sport, were on full display. The 49ers may well be the best team in the NFL, but that can change in an instant.
There will be some hand-wringing over allowing Arizona 234 yards rushing, the highest total surrendered in 113 games (including the postseason), but the 49ers were without starting defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave. Plus, there were some tackling issues by some of their best players, inside linebacker Fred Warner included.
But run defense hasn’t been a problem and likely won’t be a big one going forward, although the Baltimore Ravens will provide a hell of a test at Levi’s Stadium on Christmas night.
Fielding punts is a concern as well, with Ronnie Bell spared the indignity of giving up a special teams touchdown when he lost the ball but was ruled down upon review.
What is more likely to trip up the 49ers is bad luck, and there were at least three instances where the coaching staff, as well as the fan base, held its collective breath and instead wound up exhaling a huge sign of relief.
Their luck so far remains good.
Near-disaster No. 1: With 4:59 to play in the first half, Christian McCaffrey is upended while attempting to hurdle cornerback Antonio Hamilton. McCaffrey leaves the game and is talking with the athletic training staff about the condition of his right knee.
“I’m fine,” McCaffrey said. “It was just stuff that goes on during a game.”
Near-disaster No. 2: On the very next snap, quarterback Brock Purdy is flushed from the pocket and manages to pitch a completion forward for 9 yards to Kyle Juszczyk for a first down. Just as he releases the ball, Arizona linebacker Dennis Gardeck has a shot at Purdy and he takes it, and is called for roughing the passer. Purdy is hit in the head and neck area. He leaves the game in favor of Sam Darnold.
“II didn’t see he was down, but I saw Darnold in there,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “I’m very confident in him, he prepares like a starter every week. He looked good in there for a little bit, but I was definitely holding my breath.”
Purdy didn’t have a concussion, but a stinger — a temporary numbness in the shoulder area on his left side.
“Just assumed he got hit in the head or something,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I was little nervous about that. Then we got to the sideline, they told me it was a stinger. And when stingers happen you never know how long it will take. I got told a few plays later Brock was good to go.”
Deebo Samuel was worried.
“He was down and I’m standing over him like, ‘Bro, what is wrong with you?,’ ” Samuel said. “He’s like, `I’ve just got a little stinger. I’ll be all right.’ ”
The stinger was a first for Purdy.
“I just laid there for a sec, let it calm down, was able to go to the tent, and from there I got better,” Purdy said. “As time went on, it literally started going away. That’s why I was able get back in there mid-drive.”
Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after scoring one of his three touchdowns for the 49ers in a 45-29 win over the Arizona Cardinals. A.P. Photo
McCaffrey said Purdy’s reaction kept his teammates’ emotions in check.
“He’s tough as hell,” McCaffrey said. “Once he said he’d be good, I think that’s when everybody calmed down a little bit. It was just a matter of time before he got back in there.”
Near-disaster No. 3: With 5:51 left to go in the third quarter, 49ers defensive lineman Randy Gregory throws Arizona offensive lineman Paris Johnson into Bosa. Bosa is struck in the back of his left leg and goes down. He leaves the game.
“It was after the play, somebody got thrown into my foot,” Bosa said. “But the foot’s fine.”
All three 49ers went back in and flourished. Purdy was 16 of 25 for 242 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions — and given Dak Prescott’s face-plant Sunday in Buffalo — is an MVP front-runner. McCaffrey, the guy Purdy said he’s supporting for MVP, rushed for 115 yards on 18 carries, caught five passes for 72 more for a season-high 187 yards from scrimmage and scored three more touchdowns — giving him 20 for the season. Bosa had another sack, giving him 10 1/2 for the season.
Think how different life would be for the 49ers if any one of those three — or even all of them — were injured more seriously. Not only would the Arizona result be in doubt, but the last three games of the season against Baltimore, Washington and the Los Angeles Rams.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold, right, looks to pass against Arizona Cardinals defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter (93) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Darnold would be the quarterback, Jordan Mason the lead runner and Chase Young would be counted upon for much more in terms of a pass rush than he is now.
The 49ers, who were proudly wearing T-shirts and ballcaps celebrating the defense of their division title would be longshots rather than favorites, because it’s a star-driven team whose stars have produced at a star level and with star effort.
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Players are injured every week — the 49ers were without two important ones in Hargrave and Armstead — and it’s part of life in the NFL. Just ask McCaffrey, who has been an ironman since joining the 49ers but was available, in part, because he missed a lot of games in Carolina.
But bad luck with injuries has dogged the 49ers in each of the last two seasons that still ended up in the NFC Championship Game. And during a lengthy season, maintaining something close to good health can be difficult.
“Everybody is pushing through a lot this time of year,” Bosa said. “The NFL gets a little bit sloppy, but everybody needs to be ready for their opportunity and I think we have a lot of guys — a lot of depth — who are ready to play at a starter level.”
True enough, but the less that depth is tested, the better.
Quarterback Brock Purdy went down in the second quarter with a stinger but returned to lead the 49er past Arizona for the NFC West title. A.P. Photo
