The Cardinals got a fine performance from Colt McCoy in Week 10, when the backup filled in for an injured Kyler Murray under center. On Monday night, starting at quarterback once more, he hardly had a chance facing DeMeco Ryans' 49ers defense. Looking to win Arizona its second straight game in an effort to creep closer to .500 in the NFC West, he and the Cardinals instead took it on the chin before a roaring Mexico City crowd. San Francisco racked up nine tackles for loss and two turnovers, while Jimmy Garoppolo spread the ball around in one of his best outings of the year, leading Kyle Shanahan's squad to a 38-10 victory to claim the division lead.
Arizona kept things close through halftime, with McCoy feeding DeAndre Hopkins and James Conner capping a second-quarter scoring drive with a touchdown. But the 49ers pulled away early in the second half, getting big gains from Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in a total team win. They move to 6-4 with the decision, dropping Arizona to 4-7.
Here are some additional takeaways from Monday's showdown across the border:
Why the 49ers won
You can start with the defense, which has often been their pillar under Ryans' direction: respected as he may be filling in for Murray, Colt McCoy never stood a chance once the Cardinals fell behind and Nick Bosa and Co. pinned their ears back. San Francisco "only" logged three sacks, but the front four affected Arizona's pocket on the regular, battering the veteran QB until he was replaced by Trace McSorley late. Bosa alone had three QB hits, while Dre Greenlaw, Kevin Givens and Fred Warner each lived in the backfield as well.
Offensively, the 49ers were just as, if not more, impressive. Jimmy Garoppolo has had an underrated year, but he turned in easily his best outing of 2022, even as Kyle Shanahan shied away from a run-heavy approach. Not only did the QB show timely mobility adjusting in the pocket, but he got everyone involved at the right times, enabling McCaffrey (100+ yards), Samuel (90+ yards), Aiyuk (2 TDs) and George Kittle (2 TDs) to have spotlight moments. With quick decisions and accurate passes, they were incredibly efficient even while trailing in time of possession.
Why the Cardinals lost
It starts with Kliff Kingsbury's offense, as has often been the case. While Colt McCoy had the club competitive early, his line did not hold up as the game wore on, and then neither did he. After an early run of Greg Dortch catches thanks to Rondale Moore's latest exit due to injury, the only thing working were throws to Hopkins, who still never managed a breakaway play. James Conner got a decent amount of work but did precious little with it. And a pair of failed fourth-down tries exacerbated the issues, as did five penalties by one of the most undisciplined lineups in the NFL. Defensively, they also eroded, getting almost no pressure on Garoppolo down the stretch and showing half-hearted effort on Kittle's second TD, which all but sealed the defeat.
Turning point
Down just 7-3 in the second, the Cardinals were moving relatively well, threatening their second lead of the night by keeping Hopkins busy on the outside. At midfield, however, they went backward after the star receiver got flagged for taunting following a first-down catch in traffic. Then, two plays later, McCoy had a dump-off bounce off the hands of James Conner and into the diving arms of Jimmie Ward. Sure, Arizona would rebound with a TD drive of its own later in the quarter, but that turnover led to a quick 49ers score and kept momentum in San Francisco's favor for the remainder of the contest.
Play of the game
You might've said Garoppolo's first TD, a bullet to Aiyuk in tight coverage; or his second, to a wide-open Kittle after a step up in the pocket; but Samuel's reverse, which he promptly took past the entire Cardinals defense down the sideline, was a reminder of just how explosive he can be in multiple roles for San Francisco:
What's next
The 49ers (6-4) will return home on Thanksgiving Weekend to host the Saints (4-7), who edged the Rams with a big day from Andy Dalton in Week 11. The Cardinals (4-7), meanwhile, will host the Chargers (5-5), who are fresh off a close loss to the rival Chiefs in prime time.