Those grimy San Francisco 49ers.
Three weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the undefeated 49ers have won close games, gritty games, games they had to fight for and games they absolutely would have lost last year. Sunday was no different.
With four seconds left in the fourth quarter, after quarterback Mac Jones orchestrated an impressive drive, kicker Eddie Piñeiro made a 35-yard field goal to eek out a 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, giving San Francisco its second win in the division of the season.
“It’s big, I mean, they all count, but you like to say towards the end the division games count a little bit more,” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. “So, these are three wins that could have gone either way, especially having two on the road and especially two in our own division, [it’s a] really good start for us and we’ve just got to make sure to keep it up.”
They did it without QB Brock Purdy, without WR Jauan Jennings, without TE George Kittle, with two offensive linemen on Injured Reserve and, for much of Sunday’s game, without pass rusher Nick Bosa.
“We’ve had to overcome a lot in those games, going into them with some injuries and some people we’ve lost during the games in all three,” Shanahan said. “Those were some of the games that I think we struggled to win last year, and to have three like that and to win all three, can’t say enough about the guys in there.”
Bosa left the game early in the first half with a knee injury. Though early testing indicates Bosa avoided an ACL injury, the team won’t know anything for sure until more testing is done.
Fred Warner, class act pic.twitter.com/BDYNG5tc3T
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) September 21, 2025
“They haven’t ruled it out,” Shanahan said. “There is concern because of how he feels. They do the tests and stuff on the sideline, when usually they say whether he definitely did or not and they didn’t say that. But, we are concerned with that. Keeping our fingers crossed for the MRI or whatever he does.”
The game was sloppy on both sides. It was 6-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, on two field goals by each team. With under 11 minutes left in the fourth, the game saw its first touchdown when Jones found fullback Kyle Juszczyk on a play-action pass from the one-yard line.
Jones did not leave the game unscathed. He re-aggravated a PCL injury and had to put a knee brace on, and off, an on.
“I took the brace off, because I wasn’t moving around very well and then put it back on after that,” Jones said. “But yeah, I felt like it affected my play a little bit, which I was disappointed about. I could have just been tougher. It was affecting my reads and everything. So anyways, finished the game out and just going to do treatment and I should be good.”
Jones attempted 41 passes on the day. Only 15 of those attempts went to someone not named Christian McCaffrey or Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall ended up with eight receptions for 117 yards, while McCaffrey had 10 receptions for 88 yards to go wit 17 carries for 52 yards.
On Sunday, as in the 49ers first two games of the season, Pearsall has made some impressive catches at opportune times. In other words, the second-year receiver has been clutch.
“I loved watching him in college,” Jones said. “I’m like a secret fan of him always because I just enjoyed his tape and like watching him on highlights. He’s a really fast guy. He’s really twitchy and then has straight-line speed. In and out of his cut speed is really, really good, probably the best I’ve seen. He just does a good job on those in breakers and then out breakers too. And then that catch at the end was amazing. So he is a guy who just makes plays.”
Ricky Pearsall is having fun playing football. pic.twitter.com/knwjbGqQvg
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) September 22, 2025
The catch Jones is referring to happened on the touchdown drive – a 34-yarder that helped set up the score. Left tackle Trent Williams said he foresees Pearsall being one of the league’s top receivers sooner rather than later.
In three games, McCaffrey has 77 touches, which is a 49ers record. Per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, McCaffrey leads the league with 21 first downs.
“We were just both in the cold tub next to each other just watching,” Jones said. “I was asking him ‘you took a lot of hits.’ He is like, ‘yeah, I’ll be good though.’ And he’s just tough. He’ll be out there and practicing and that’s just who he is and he takes care of his body the best I’ve ever seen every day. I’ve learned a lot about the body and what you need to do to get ready for the next game being around him…
[H]e’s really tough and he did a great job. We had a couple plays where we weren’t on the same page for various reasons, but at the same time I know he is my safety blanket. I can just throw it to him and he’ll get you between six and 15-yards every time.”
After the San Francisco touchdown, Arizona got one of its own, after which Jones threw an interception. Then, the 49ers were called for holding in the end zone, which resulted in a Cardinals’ safety.
“I threw it right to the guy, so it’s not like he made a good play.” Mac Jones on the interception 😂
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) September 22, 2025
But, at the end of the day, Jones led his second gotta have it drive in two weeks and Piñeiro delivered the win.
“I think anytime you open up 3-0 with two division games, that’s a big deal,” McCaffrey said. “I think the best part about it is we’re definitely just not satisfied with how we’re playing, but to not be satisfied and still find ways to grind out some wins is a huge deal. It’s a four quarter game and we know that we’ve got a lot of guys shuffling around this and that. All those things can be excuses, but…we’ve found some ways to win…”
And now, the 49ers wait on the severity of Bosa’s injury, and as everyone well knows, the waiting is the hardest part.