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Double K’s NFL Game Review:(San Francisco 49ers (3-0) 16, Arizona Cardinals (2-1) 15)

Arizona Cardinals (ARI) @ San Francisco 49ers (SF) on Sunday, Sep 21, 2025 at 01:25 PM PDT. Final score: ARI 15 – SF 16

Here’s a review / recap of the 49ers vs. Cardinals game on September 21, 2025, a thriller that came down to the wire.

49ers 16, Cardinals 15 — San Francisco edged out Arizona on a last-second field goal. (Reuters)
With the win, the 49ers moved to 3–0 to start the season. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Cardinals fell to 2–1. (ESPN.com)

The game opened slow. Neither team scored in the first quarter. (ESPN.com)
In the 2nd quarter, the Cardinals struck first with a 34-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. (ESPN.com)
The 49ers then responded, putting together drives that yielded two field goals (38 and 51 yards) from Eddy Pineiro, giving SF a 6–3 lead heading into halftime. (ESPN.com)

Arizona closed the gap with a 28-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, tying it 6–6. (ESPN.com)
Both defenses stiffened, and offense sputtered at times. The Cardinals held and forced the 49ers into difficult positions. (San Francisco Chronicle)

The 49ers finally broke through: Mac Jones hit Kyle Juszczyk on a 1-yard play-action touchdown, giving SF a 13–6 lead. (Reuters)
Arizona answered quickly — Kyler Murray to Trey McBride for a 1-yard TD tied the game 13–13. (Reuters)
Then came a controversial turning point: a safety awarded to Arizona on a holding call in the end zone against San Francisco. That pushed Arizona ahead 15–13. (Reuters)
Down to the wire, the 49ers mounted a 10-play, 63-yard drive. Eddy Pineiro calmly hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to win it. (Reuters)

Christian McCaffrey (SF): He was instrumental, combining for ~140 yards from scrimmage and making pivotal plays (including a 20-yard catch on the final drive). (Reuters)
Ricky Pearsall (SF): A surprise bright spot in the receiving corps, he hauled in 8 catches for 117 yards. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Mac Jones (SF): Completed 27/41 for 284 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Not a flawless day, but he delivered when it mattered. (Reuters)
Kyler Murray (ARI): Finished 22/35, 159 yards, 1 TD. Efficient in tight spaces but never really broke away. (Reuters)
Trey McBride (ARI): Caught 5 passes for 43 yards and the Cardinals’ touchdown. (Reuters)

James Conner (ARI): The Cardinals’ running back was carted off in the 3rd quarter with a serious ankle injury and did not return. (Reuters)
Nick Bosa (SF): The 49ers’ star defensive end suffered a knee injury in the first half and was forced out of the game. His status will be something to monitor going forward. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Mykel Williams (SF): The rookie defensive lineman also exited briefly with a wrist injury but managed to return later in the game. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Resilience under pressure
This was not a clean win for San Francisco. Time of possession heavily favored Arizona (34:39 to 25:21) (ESPN.com), and the 49ers had to overtake a late safety. But they executed when it counted — that final drive was clutch.
Questions on depth & health
Losing Bosa hurts. The injury bug continues to plague important players. Arizona losing Conner also changes their backfield calculus moving forward.
Arizona’s missed opportunities
They moved the ball well and dominated time of possession, but couldn’t convert enough drives into touchdowns. Special teams and penalties (like the end zone holding) proved costly.
Momentum & confidence boost
For San Francisco, escaping with a win (especially without full strength) gives them a psychological edge. For Arizona, they’ll be frustrated by how close they came.

Written by Chat GPT