The San Francisco 49ers just rolled to a 3-0 record, snagging a 36-30 win against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. That victory also puts them at a clean 2-0 in the NFC West, and while they apparently played with their food a little bit, letting the Cards sneak back in late, they still held on. Honestly, it’s a bit alarming how good they’re looking, especially with their schedule about to get tougher.
Brock Purdy’s MVP-Caliber Start is No Fluke (Maybe)
You know a quarterback is feeling himself when he’s trying a jump pass along the sideline. That was Brock Purdy’s “heat check” in Week 3, and honestly, the dude is playing out of his mind. He just threw four touchdowns against Arizona, closing out one of the best three-game stretches of his career. Get this: Sunday marked the third time Purdy has gone on a three-game tear with nine or more passing touchdowns and one or fewer interceptions. He did it in 2023, Weeks 13-15, with 10 touchdowns and one pick. Then again in 2025, Weeks 13-16, with nine touchdowns and one interception. And now, in the first three weeks of 2026? Nine touchdowns and one interception. What makes this streak even more bananas is that he’s doing it with a totally hammered receiver room. After Mike Evans got injured in the second quarter, Purdy was without his top four receivers: Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Ricky Pearsall, and Demarcus Robinson. He didn’t even target Deebo Samuel once! Despite all that, he still completed 8-of-12 passes for 127 yards and a pair of scores. Sure, George Kittle helps, but Purdy was moving the ball downfield with Jordan Watkins, a guy who was apparently “banished to the shadow realm” just a week ago. Is it just a hot three games, or is this really who Brock Purdy is now? If it is, that MVP case is only gonna get stronger.
That 49ers Offense is on an Historic Tear
Purdy’s blazing start has lit up the entire 49ers offense. They’ve not only racked up the most points scored through three games under Kyle Shanahan, but with their 36 points on Sunday, they’re sitting at 98 points this season. That puts them on one of the hottest starts in franchise history. Think about some of those other starts: 1949 (115 points), 1998 (112 points), 1948 (112 points), 1983 (107 points), and 1965 (103 points). Our rivals are right there at 98 points for 2026. And here’s a stat that’s a little wild: the 49ers have never actually won a Super Bowl in a season where they scored more than 100 points in their first three games. But, they did win two Super Bowls (in 1984 and 1994) when they scored between 95-99 points in the first three games. Maybe Shanahan actually found the sweet spot for them this season, which is just infuriating. Look at the quarterbacks who led those other high-scoring starts: John Brodie in ’65, Joe Montana in ’83, Steve Young in ’98. They’re putting Purdy in that company.
So, the 49ers are feeling themselves, sitting pretty at 3-0 and 2-0 in the NFC West. Their schedule gets tough next, with the Broncos and yeah, US, the Seattle Seahawks, looming on the horizon. Get ready, 12s, because we’re about to see if Purdy and that offense are truly historic, or if our boys can shut them down at Lumen Field!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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