The San Francisco 49ers found themselves in an all too familiar situation on Sunday: banged up, backs against the wall, and staring down a potential division loss.
But behind the steady hand of head bench boss Kyle Shanahan and the defensive direction of coordinator Robert Saleh, the Niners found a way to outlast the Arizona Cardinals and remain undefeated, pulling off a thrilling (albeit nervewracking) 16-15 victory to improve to 3-0.
Sunday afternoon was not a game dominated by offensive fireworks or defensive perfection. Instead, it was a showcase of resilience, adaptability, and the kind of sideline leadership that separates the average from the great, and the great from the, well... undefeated.
An unfortunate constant the 49ers have had to deal with, the piling up of injuries continued to mount for San Francisco in Week 3, with defensive end Nick Bosa leaving early with a potentially serious knee injury, joining a long list of core contributors on the shelf, including quarterback Brock Purdy.
Shanahan was forced to lean on backup Mac Jones and a kicker, Eddy Pineiro, who wasn’t even on the roster just three weeks ago. Still, Shanahan never flinched. He schemed around Jones’ strengths, dialing up quick throws and timely play-action attempts to keep Arizona’s defense honest and Jones in a rhythm.
Ultimately, that trust paid off in the game’s final moments.
With just under two minutes left and trailing by two, Jones orchestrated a five-completion, 59-yard march that set up Pineiro’s game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired.
"I just knew the guys had my back," Jones said. "Coach believed in me, and we went out and ripped it."
49ers understand the importance of who wears the headset
While Shanahan handled the offense, Saleh’s fingerprints were all over the defense.
Even without Bosa, San Francisco’s unit stayed composed and flew around from hash to hash, which is a glaring contrast to what went down late in games in 2024 under then-coordinator Nick Sorensen.
Saleh’s aggressive adjustments and rotations neutralized Arizona just enough, holding quarterback Kyler Murray and Co. to one touchdown drive despite several opportunities to close the game.
Arizona did briefly snatch the lead in the fourth, capitalizing on a safety when defensive tackle Calais Campbell forced a holding penalty in the end zone. Yet Saleh’s group didn’t waver. Each defensive series was designed to maximize discipline and minimize explosive plays, keeping San Francisco alive long enough for Shanahan’s offense on the opposite side of the coin to strike back.
For the 49ers, you'll take divisional wins any way you can get them, even if they're not the prettiest or the most comfortable. But it was proof that in the face of injuries, a head coach and defensive coordinator working in sync can still put an organization in a position to not only stay competitive, but win ballgames.
The stars may be sidelined, but San Francisco’s sideline leaders remain its most reliable weapons as the team fights the injury bug.