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49ers vs. Cardinals Week 3 tracker: Injury updates, predictions, storylines and more

The Niners look to make it 3-0.
ByPeter Panacy
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The San Francisco 49ers currently sit atop the NFC West with a 2-0 record after impressive wins over both the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins in Weeks 1 and 2, and now, head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad looks to gain yet another in-division victory when the 1-1 Arizona Cardinals come to town in Week 3.

The Cards have shown a bit of pluck so far this season despite being in rebuild mode under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. They took down the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 before giving the Seattle Seahawks fits ahead of an ultimate post-halftime collapse, suggesting Week 3's tilt at Levi's Stadium won't exactly be a proverbial walk in the park for quarterback Brock Purdy and Co.

Still, getting two NFC West victories in the books while going 3-0 on the young season would be ideal for the Niners, who'll aim to stack some early wins together despite dealing with several impactful injuries right out of the gate.

Here's what you'll want to know ahead of Sunday's showdown, so bookmark this page and keep refreshing it for the latest updates.

Last updated Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 5:05 p.m. ET

49ers vs. Cardinals table of contents

  1. How to watch 49ers vs. Cardinals in Week 2
  2. 49ers Week 2 injury report
  3. Cardinals Week 2 injury report
  4. Weather forecast for 49ers vs. Cardinals
  5. Biggest 49ers storylines entering Week 3 vs. Cardinals
  6. 49ers vs. Cardinals game predictions

How to watch 49ers vs. Cardinals in Week 2

  • Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
  • Time: 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. local)
  • TV Network: Fox
  • Announcers: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (color), Allison Williams (sideline)

49ers Week 2 injury report

Name

Position

Injury

Designation

Nick Bosa

DE

Calf

OUT

Mike Evans

WR

Hip

Questionable

Romello Height

DE

Hand

OUT

Demarcus Robinson

WR

Ankle

OUT

James Thompson Jr.

DL

Ankle

OUT

The Bosa development is a troubling one, as both ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the defensive end suffered a calf injury during practice and would miss "a few weeks."

San Francisco is now without its best pass-rusher, putting more pressure on an awfully thin defensive line.

Cardinals Week 2 injury report

Name

Position

Injury

Designation

Roy Lopez

DT

Groin

DNP

Max Melton

CB

Toe

DNP

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

S

Back

DNP

Hjalte Froholdt

G

Knee

Limited

Garrett Williams

CB

Achilles

Limited

Weather forecast for 49ers vs. Cardinals

  • Temperature at kickoff: 70 degrees
  • Winds: Northwesterly at 5 miles per hour
  • Precipitation: Zero percent

Forecast provided by NFL Weather.

Biggest 49ers storylines entering Week 3 vs. Cardinals

Wide receiver injuries

Week 2's win over the Dolphins cost the Niners Demarcus Robinson, who now joins rookie De'Zhaun Stribling on the list of receivers who'll miss a substantial length of time. Additionally, veteran wideout Mike Evans suffered a minor hip injury during the game and will be monitored carefully.

San Francisco may look to add a receiver to either the 53-man roster or the practice squad to help beef up the back end of the depth chart, especially for the weekend before reinforcements arrive.

Defensive line depth

While the Bosa news is bad enough, the 49ers are also shorthanded along their defensive line, especially after rookie James Thompson Jr. exited with an ankle injury in Week 2.

Arguably thinner than the wide receiver room, Shanahan has already acknowledged looking at free-agent options to help plug the gaps in the trenches.

Brock Purdy's red-hot start

With two games under his belt, Purdy has been responsible for six touchdowns (five passing and one rushing) against an interception, completing a league-best 80.4 percent of his pass attempts. And he's got an impressive 125.6 passer rating while not having been sacked yet.

In short, Purdy has been on fire to start the season, elevating those around him and helping engineer the Niners offense to a kind of potency it hasn't always enjoyed before his 2022 arrival.

Divisional games are always high-intensity, but one might figure Purdy to keep the hot streak going against a rebuilding Arizona defense.

49ers vs. Cardinals game predictions

ESPN experts

Jeremy Fowler: 49ers
Dan Graziano: 49ers

CBS Sports experts

Pete Prisco: 49ers

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