Arizona Cardinals can't stop Christian McCaffrey, former ASU star Brandon Aiyuk in loss to 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — There are many reasons the San Francisco 49ers remain one of two undefeated teams in the NFL after their 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Two are running back Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers' fast and physical defense. The Cardinals got a heavy dose of both and weren't able to counter them enough to win. The result was the Cardinals' first double-digit loss of the season, 35-16.

What had been a capable and sound Cardinals defense that had kept the team in all three previous games had a hard time stopping the 49ers' multi-faceted offense that didn't need to get too fancy. All head coach Kyle Shanahan had to do was keep getting the ball to McCaffrey, whom the Cardinals couldn't stop.

McCaffrey had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown by halftime, and finished with four touchdowns for the game.

Still the Cardinals fought back. Their offense turned a 21-3 deficit into 21-16 in the third quarter. Quarterback Josh Dobbs was a credible running threat, and he hit Michael Wilson twice for the rookie's first two NFL touchdown receptions.

The 49ers answered the Cardinals' rally with an early fourth quarter touchdown run from McCaffrey. Then quarterback Brock Purdy, a Gilbert native, scored on a one-yard keeper with 1:59 to play in the game.

Purdy keeps winning, and his 20-for-21 performance isn't just a fluke, as the second-year signal caller continues to be effective no matter the opponent.

The loss should serve as a reality check for the Cardinals coaching staff, which ran into a well-oiled machine in the 49ers. When not going to McCaffrey, San Francisco found success throwing to former Arizona State star Brandon Aiyuk deep down the field.

When the 49ers drove down the field for scores, they made those drives look too easy against the Cardinals defense. Explosive plays were a problem for the Cardinals, and McCaffrey, one of many offensive weapons for San Francisco, couldn't be contained even though he surely was a focal point of the defensive game plan.

Arizona played a mistake-free game with Dobbs running the offense. He threw for a pair of touchdowns, completed 28 of 41 passes for 265 yards and rushed for 48 yards. Dobbs was effective, but the Cardinals offense couldn't keep up on the scoreboard.

Hollywood Brown had seven catches for 96 yards. He and Wilson were downfield threats for the Cardinals, who had a hard time running the ball with James Conner against the 49ers' fast and physical linebackers.

Aiyuk roasted the Cardinals cornerbacks with six catches for 148 yards, exposing another issue the Cardinals need to address. The 49ers sealed victory with a 14-play, 77-yard drive that took 7 minutes and 14 seconds off the clock in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals unable to get off the field on defense. Corrections and adjustments will be needed this week, but there was some solace in the Cardinals' ability to make the game close.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals get two touchdowns from rookie Michael Wilson in loss to 49ers