4 bold predictions for Brock Purdy, 49ers offense in Week 5 vs. Cardinals

Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense hopefully hit their stride, and they may put up some big numbers against the Cardinals.

The San Francisco 49ers would love nothing more than to engineer their first win streak of the season, which would propel them above the .500 mark for the first time since a Week 1 victory over the New York Jets.

Should the Niners do so, they'll have to pull off a victory over their NFC West rivals, the 1-3 Arizona Cardinals, when both teams square off in Week 5.

Aside from a Week 2 pummeling of the Los Angeles Rams, the red birds have had their fair share of problems this year on both offense and defense. Speaking to the defense, Arizona has given up 106 points on the year, which is fourth worst in the league. Tack on giving up an average of 5.8 yards per play, tied for fifth worst, it's safe to say head coach Jonathan Gannon's defense isn't exactly a big threat to quarterback Brock Purdy and Co.

After something of an inconsistent and injury-plagued start, Purdy and the offense seem to have found a bit of a groove, evidenced by a 30-13 Week 4 win over a strong New England Patriots defense.

With the Cardinals notably worse than the Pats, defensively, Week 5's showdown offers up some potentially juicy predictions.

Prediction No. 1: Brock Purdy passes for 350-plus yards

A 300-yard passing game has become something of a rarity for quarterbacks this season, given how overall passing stats are down in 2024.

But Arizona has already given up three 350-yard passing games on the year, including a 449-yard game to quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 4.

Overall, the Cardinals are allowing a net average of 7.4 yards per pass attempt, second highest in the league, which opens up the door for Purdy to have a commanding performance of his own.

Purdy, who already ranks second in the NFL with 1,130 pass yards entering Week 5, is leading the league with an average of 9.3 yards per attempt. Tack on the fact the Cardinals have just nine sacks on the season, it's probably safe to assume the Niners' signal-caller won't be dealing with a ton of pressure.

Expect Purdy to crest 300 yards through the air for the second time this season, while 350-plus yards encompasses the "bold" nature of predictions.