49ers vs Arizona Cardinals Match Player Stats: Purdy and Kittle Lead San Francisco to a 36-30 Win

Searching for the 49ers vs arizona cardinals match player stats usually means piecing together box scores and recaps that disagree on the details. Sunday’s 36-30 shootout at Levi’s Stadium had four Brock Purdy touchdown passes, a 17-point lead that nearly disappeared, and a 38-of-52 passing night from Jacoby Brissett. This breakdown covers every number that mattered.

1. Title & Intro

The San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 36-30 on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. San Francisco improved to 3-0 and outgained Arizona 437-365 despite holding the ball for only 21:16. Kickoff was 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX. The Ticket

The 49ers opened with a hook-and-ladder touchdown, built a 23-6 lead early in the third quarter, and then watched Arizona rally to within 29-27. Purdy finished 15-of-27 for 297 yards and four touchdowns, and George Kittle caught six passes for 82 yards and two scores. Kittle’s second touchdown, with roughly 90 seconds left, restored a nine-point cushion. Deebo Samuel then recovered the onside kick to close it out. 49ers Webzone

2. Match Overview Table

3. Core Match Statistics Overview

Yards Per Play

• San Francisco averaged 8.7 yards on every snap, nearly double Arizona’s 4.5.
• The 49ers scored 0.72 points per play; the Cardinals managed 0.37 on 31 more snaps.

Time of Possession and Play Volume

• Arizona ran 81 plays to San Francisco’s 50 and held the ball nearly 17 minutes longer.
• That volume produced 27 first downs but only three touchdowns.

Passing Efficiency

• Purdy averaged 11.0 yards per attempt. Brissett averaged roughly 5.4 on 52 throws.
• Brissett’s 73.1% completion rate looked better, but most of his completions were short.

Discipline and Turnovers

• Arizona’s 10 penalties cost 86 yards, and holding stalled its opening drive.
• San Francisco’s lone turnover, a muffed punt, led directly to a Cardinals touchdown.

4. Period-by-Period Analysis

First Quarter

• Arizona’s opening drive died on a holding penalty.
• On third-and-12, Purdy hit Mike Evans, who pitched back to Deebo Samuel for an 80-yard touchdown.
• The hook-and-ladder gave San Francisco a lead it never gave up.

Second Quarter

• Purdy found Evans for a 23-yard touchdown to open the quarter and make it 14-0.
• Chad Ryland kicked field goals from 26 and 41 yards to cut it to 14-6.
• Eddy Pineiro’s 57-yarder as time expired restored an 11-point halftime lead.

Third Quarter

• Christian McCaffrey scored from one yard out on the opening drive of the half. Pineiro missed the extra point, which mattered later.
• Arizona answered with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard Brissett touchdown to Michael Wilson.
• The quarter ended 23-13, with Arizona controlling the clock.

Fourth Quarter

• Jeremiyah Love scored on a 1-yard catch after defensive penalties gave Arizona first-and-goal, and Kittle answered with a 10-yard touchdown.
• Brissett’s 1-yard sneak with 2:51 left made it 29-27.
• Kittle’s 20-yard touchdown and Ryland’s late field goal set the final margin. Samuel’s onside-kick recovery ended it.

5. Detailed Team Player Statistics

San Francisco 49ers Player Statistics

Brock Purdy Stats

Purdy completed just 55.6% of his passes but averaged 11.0 yards per attempt and threw touchdowns to Evans, Samuel (on the lateral play) and Kittle twice. He also ran for 34 yards on two carries and took no sacks behind a line missing Trent Williams for part of the game.

George Kittle Touchdowns and Stat Line

Kittle scored on a 10-yard catch over the middle and a 20-yard play-action touchdown. Both came in the fourth quarter, after Arizona had cut into the lead.

Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey scored the 1-yard touchdown that made it 23-6 and picked up a key 23 yards on the drive before Kittle’s final score. Kaelon Black added 4 carries for 17 yards.

Deebo Samuel

Samuel turned a 2-yard catch and lateral into an 80-yard touchdown, then recovered the onside kick that ended the game. Those two plays bookended the afternoon.

Arizona Cardinals Player Statistics

Jacoby Brissett Stats

Brissett protected the ball and had no turnovers. He accounted for three touchdowns, two passing and one on the ground, but averaged only about 5.4 yards per throw.

Jeremiyah Love Rushing Yards

The rookie ran for 90 yards on 21 carries. He also caught the 1-yard touchdown that made it 23-20, giving Arizona its second productive ground threat behind Brissett’s short passes. The Ticket

Michael Wilson

Wilson led the offense with 11 catches on 17 targets and scored a touchdown. His 5-yard score late in the third quarter started the comeback. Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride

McBride was stopped just short of the goal line on the drive that ended with Brissett’s sneak. He remained Brissett’s most reliable option on third down.

6. Statistical Leaders Summary Table

7. Analytical Breakdowns

Why the 49ers Won

Explosive Plays Over Volume

San Francisco needed only 50 plays to score five touchdowns. Arizona’s longest pass gained 19 yards, while the 49ers had an 80-yard touchdown and a 23-yard touchdown pass.

Kittle and the Fourth-Quarter Answers

Arizona scored on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, and San Francisco answered each time. Two 65-yard touchdown drives, both finished by Kittle, meant the Cardinals never got the ball with a chance to win.

Pass Rush Without Bosa

San Francisco’s line, without Nick Bosa and several other starters, still sacked Brissett twice and hit him five times. The 49ers pressured him on 41.7% of plays over the first three drives, and Arizona gained just 6 rushing yards on four second-quarter carries. San Francisco Chronicle

Special Teams at the Right Moments

Pineiro’s 57-yard field goal at the halftime gun gave the 49ers an 11-point cushion. Samuel’s onside-kick recovery ended any chance of a final Arizona possession.

Why the Cardinals Lost

Penalties and Red Zone Stalls

Arizona was flagged 10 times for 86 yards. It also settled for field goals on two of its five trips inside the San Francisco 20. The Ticket

Efficiency Gap in the Passing Game

Brissett’s 38 completions produced a low average per throw, so drives needed 10-plus plays. Long drives are hard to sustain against an offense that can score in one snap.

Cutting the Margin Too Late

The Cardinals scored 24 points in the second half but trailed by 17 at one point. Their final touchdown and field goal arrived with under three minutes left, after San Francisco had already answered twice.

8. Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Recent Series Results

Entering this game the Cardinals led the all-time series 38-31, and had lost seven straight division games. That series tally moves to 38-32 after Sunday. CBSSports.com

Advanced Statistical Insights

The clearest pattern is the gap between possession and production. Arizona held the ball for 38:44 and ran 81 plays but scored 0.37 points per snap, against 0.72 for San Francisco. Yards per play (8.7 to 4.5) and yards per pass attempt (11.0 to 5.4) point the same way.

Purdy’s 133.8 passer rating on only 27 attempts shows what happens when a quarterback throws downfield and finishes drives. Brissett’s 73.1% completion rate was the better raw number, but completions per attempt didn’t decide the game. Explosive plays and touchdown conversion in scoring position did.

9. Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the 49ers

• San Francisco moves to 3-0 after two wins by at least 20 points and now this one-score escape.
• The injuries are the concern: Evans left with a rib injury, Trent Williams with a stinger, and Dre Greenlaw with a quadriceps injury.
• The 49ers face Denver at home on Sunday, October 4.

What This Means for the Cardinals

• Arizona is 1-2 and has lost two straight, after a 31-7 loss to Seattle last week.
• The offense can move the ball. Red zone conversion and penalties are the fixes.
• The Cardinals visit the New York Giants next.

Key Lessons

• Explosive plays beat volume: 50 plays outscored 81.
• Completion percentage alone says little without yards per attempt.
• Red zone field goals keep opponents in games.
• Penalties turn productive drives into stalled ones.
• Special teams errors, like the muffed punt, can gift a comeback.
• Depth on defense matters: a makeshift line still generated pressure.

FAQs

Who won the 49ers vs Cardinals game?

The 49ers won 36-30 at Levi’s Stadium on September 27, 2026.

What were Brock Purdy’s stats?

Purdy went 15-of-27 for 297 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, plus 34 rushing yards on two carries.

How many touchdowns did George Kittle score?

Kittle caught two touchdowns, from 10 and 20 yards, on six receptions for 82 yards.

How did Jacoby Brissett play?

Brissett completed 38 of 52 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions and two sacks. He also scored on a 1-yard sneak.

Who led the game in rushing?

Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love led all rushers with 90 yards on 21 carries. Christian McCaffrey led San Francisco with 75 yards and a touchdown.

When do these teams play again?

The rematch is scheduled for January 10, 2027, in Arizona, subject to flex scheduling.

Conclusion

San Francisco won because its offense was more efficient, not because it had the ball more. The 49ers averaged 8.7 yards per play, scored on big plays and answered every Arizona touchdown. The Cardinals produced 27 first downs and 365 yards but left points on the field through penalties and red zone stalls. Purdy, Kittle and Samuel supplied the plays that decided it, and the rest of the team held on through the injuries.