Week Four

49ers 35, Cardinals 16

The conventional NFL wisdom that claims running backs are replaceable and interchangeable evidently hasn't taken Christian McCaffrey into account. Jumping headfirst into the early-season MVP sweepstakes, McCaffrey scored four touchdowns Sunday, gained 106 yards on the ground and another 71 through the air, and generally made things impossible for a Cardinals team that played well and kept it close for most of the game. 

For his part, Brock Purdy could hardly have been better, completing 20 of 21 passes for 281 yards as he won his eighth straight regular-season start. And for those skeptics who don't believe he's got the arm, check out the highlight reel at 7:35 of the second quarter. You'll see a laser shot downfield, 50 yards in the air, that was not only completed to Brandon Aiyuk but actually led the speedy receiver, who had to reach out ahead to haul it in on the run. 

And all this is made possible by a 49er offensive line that looks much improved from a year ago. Arizona's only real defensive strength is their pass rush, but they just couldn't get to Purdy even when they knew he had to throw. And as for run blocking-- well, watch McCaffrey's four TDs and a couple of his big runs. The man has a nose for the end zone and the open lane, but check out those downfield blocks.

It was a clean game, no turnovers, no controversial calls, no ugly personal fouls. The Cardinal offense, led by Tennessee alumnus Josh Dobbs, played well against the 49er defense, held the ball for half the game, and gained nearly as many yards. Dobbs, whom some thought was a give-up choice at QB when Kyler Murray was ruled out, is playing better each week. We wish him well and hope he'll do Big Orange proud.   

Now comes the first showdown of the season-- those beloved Dallas Cowboys, Sunday night at Levi. Purdy, McCaffrey, Deebo, Kittle, Jusczyk and company facing mighty Micah Parsons and his crew. Dak Prescott trying to make up for two bad playoff performances against a defense that has been his Kryptonite so far. Ought to be a good one.

RIP to Russ Francis, the maverick tight end who loved to fly. We remember when he "buzzed" the old 49er training camp in Redwood City, infuriating Bill Walsh. But come Sunday, there he was, blocking like a Pro Bowl tackle and grabbing passes over the middle and rumbling downfield. He was one of a kind, he helped the 49ers win a championship, and while he may have left us doing what he loved best, he's still gone too soon. Blessings to his family..