49ers pull off something vs. Cardinals they hadn't done all year long

The 2025 San Francisco 49ers aren't going to be known for intercepting the ball.

And yet they somehow made a habit out of doing just that in a Week 11 showdown against their NFC West rivals, the Arizona Cardinals.

While the majority of focus from the game stemmed on quarterback Brock Purdy making his return from a turf-toe injury that held him out since Week 4, the Niners' inability to generate turnovers all season has been something of a problem, too.

Prior to the game, San Francisco had just one interception on the season, which didn't take place until a Week 6 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, it shouldn't have come as too big a surprise the 49ers entered Week 11 with the second fewest interceptions on defense in the league, trailing only the lowly New York Jets, who have yet to record a single one.

That changed against Arizona, though.

49ers record first 2-interception game of season vs. Cardinals

Safety Malik Mustapha made good on the 49ers' second interception of the season late in the second half, picking off Cardinals backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and helping Purdy and Co. get into field-goal range right before halftime.

Based on splits, the Niners probably wouldn't record another pick until late in the regular season.

Yet cornerback Deommodore Lenoir changed that late in the third quarter with a nifty interception along the sideline, followed by a 64-yard return that subsequently led to another San Francisco touchdown a few plays later:

The last time the Niners had a two-interception game on defense was way back toward the tail end of the 2023 season against the Washington Commanders, meaning it's been well over a year since coordinator Robert Saleh's defense had a multi-pick performance.

Thankfully, from Lenoir and Mustapha, San Francisco's woeful interception numbers this deep in the season won't look at horrid as they did prior to Week 11.