The 49ers just keep winning.
Coach Kyle Shanahan's club entered Thursday night's game against the Cardinals at 7-0, led by a fearsome pass rush and an efficient run game that has made life easy for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers had been rolling over their opponents with relative ease.
But a divisional game on a short week presents a number of issues, and the Cardinals, led by rookie star Kyler Murray, gave the 49ers all they could handle. After Arizona jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, Garoppolo led the 49ers to 21 straight points to take a 21-7 lead into the break.
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The Cardinals kept fighting, though, and cut the lead to 28-25 with under five minutes remaining, needing one stop to give Murray a chance to win them the game and put the first blemish on the 49ers' record. But Garoppolo wouldn't give Arizona the ball back, making two clutch third-down throws to ice the game and boost the 49ers to 8-0.
Garoppolo, who some have dubbed the 49ers' weakest link, was locked in at State Farm Stadium, going 28-for-37 for 317 yards and four touchdowns.
After the win, Shanahan informed the team they would be getting the next four days off and then awarded Garoppolo the game ball, sending the locker room into a frenzy.
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The 49ers will have 10 days off until they start the second half of their schedule, which is much more difficult, with a "Monday Night Football" showdown with the Seahawks at Levi's Stadium.