The Secret Behind the Cowboys' Defense: The Forgotten Star

In their Week 11 NFL 2025 matchup, the San Francisco 49ers cruised past the Arizona Cardinals with a commanding 41 to 22 victory at State Farm Stadium, marking the triumphant return of quarterback Brock Purdy. This was Purdy’s first appearance since September 28 after dealing with a turf toe injury. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Christian McCaffrey once again proved his superstar value with three touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving), racking up 81 rushing yards and 121 total yards from scrimmage. Tight end George Kittle also made his presence felt with six catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. While the 49ers controlled most of the game, the Cardinals had a few notable bright spots. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett delivered a career performance, completing 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Wide receivers Michael Wilson (15 catches for 185 yards) and Trey McBride (10 catches for 115 yards) were Brissett’s top targets in the contest. However, the Cardinals sabotaged themselves with a franchise-record 17 penalties, costing them a total of 130 yards. This broke a team record that had stood since 1936. A 60-yard touchdown run by Bam Knight was nullified due to a holding call. Additionally, Arizona fumbled at the goal line early in the fourth quarter when Elijah Higgins lost the ball. Kicker Eddy Piñeiro added three field goals for the 49ers (from 47, 48, and 47 yards), extending his streak to 22 consecutive successful kicks. Notably, he was also the one who nailed the game-winning 35-yard field goal in Week 3 when the 49ers edged out the Cardinals 16 to 15. With this victory, the 49ers improve to 7 and 4 and remain firmly in the hunt for an NFC playoff spot although they still sit eighth in the conference standings. 🗓️ Upcoming Games for the 49ers: Monday, Nov 24 vs Carolina Panthers at 5:15 PM PT Sunday, Nov 30 at Cleveland Browns at 10:00 AM PT Sunday, Dec 7 BYE WEEK Sunday, Dec 14 vs Tennessee Titans at 1:25 PM PT Monday, Dec 22 at Indianapolis Colts at 5:15 PM PT 🎙️ Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon Reacts: "I have to admit today we were completely outmatched. They played with speed, discipline, and precision that we simply couldn’t match. Brock Purdy returned and ran the game like a machine, and their offense gave us no room to adjust or breathe. You can’t just blame technical errors or individual mistakes. This was a breakdown of our entire system. We need to take a hard look at ourselves from the meeting rooms to the field and we must respond as one unified team if we want to improve."