Double K’s NFL Game Review:(Arizona Cardinals (3-7) vs San Francisco 49ers (7-4))
NFL Schedule
- San Francisco 49ers (SF) @ Arizona Cardinals (ARI) on Sunday, Nov 16, 2025 at 01:05 PM PST. Final score: SF 41 – ARI 22
Here’s a detailed review of the San Francisco 49ers’ 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals on November 16, 2025:
✅ What Went Well for the 49ers
Offense
- QB Brock Purdy returned from injury and delivered a solid outing: 19/26 for ~200 yards and 3 touchdowns. (Niners Nation)
- TE George Kittle caught 6 passes for 67 yards and 2 TDs — signaling the “Purdy-to-Kittle” connection is alive again. (Niners Nation)
- RB Christian McCaffrey had one of his most efficient games of the season with 81 rushing yards and 2 TDs, and helped establish the run game. (Niners Nation)
- The 49ers controlled the line of scrimmage: they held Arizona to just 36 rushing yards, making the Cardinals one-dimensional. (Niners Nation)
Defense & Turnovers
- The defense forced 3 turnovers (2 interceptions + 1 forced fumble) which turned into scoring opportunities. (Niners Nation)
- Despite Arizona accumulating a lot of yards (488 total), San Francisco limited the damage and kept the Cardinals’ drives from being fully effective. (Houston Chronicle)
- The 49ers held Arizona’s time of possession shorter (~25:45 vs ~34:15) and limited big plays. (FOX Sports)
❌ What Went Wrong / Areas of Concern
- Although the offense looked sharp, Purdy did have a few “turnover-worthy” plays (even though none turned into picks in this game) — still room for improvement. (Niners Nation)
- The Cardinals piled up 452 passing yards (though much of that came late) which shows the 49ers can’t be complacent. (ESPN.com)
🔍 What Went Wrong for the Cardinals
- QB Jacoby Brissett set an NFL record with 47 completions, but still had 2 interceptions and the team couldn’t keep pace. (Revenge of the Birds)
- The Cardinals were penalty-plagued: a franchise-record 17 penalties for 130 yards which repeatedly derailed their drives. (Houston Chronicle)
- Special teams miscues: blocked field goal, missed kicks, etc. These mistakes compounded the problems. (Houston Chronicle)
- The offense stalled once the 49ers got ahead; predictable and inconsistent.
🧮 Final Take & Impact
- Final score: 49ers 41, Cardinals 22. (ESPN.com)
- This game reaffirms the 49ers’ status as a playoff-contender: the offense looks in sync, the defense remains opportunistic.
- For the Cardinals, this game is a blow: facing both discipline issues (penalties) and execution issues, their season continues to spiral.
- Moving forward: the 49ers need to maintain consistency, avoid complacency when ahead. The Cardinals need to clean up fundamentals fast if they want to salvage anything.
Would you like a play-by-play breakdown, key player grades, or how this affects playoff implications for each team?