Glendale, AZ -- Arizona Cardinals completely obliterated the 49ers on both sides of the ball. Chris Johnson rushed for over 100 yards and Palmer threw for 311 yards.
"Bad day. It starts and ends with me. Hats off to the Arizona Cardinals for what they were able to accomplish today," said 49ers coach Jim Tomsula.
Colin Kaepernick started off the game with very, very quick back-to-back pick 6 interceptions to send the 49ers into a quick deficit 14-0. He would end with 4 interceptions on the game. A pair of Chris Johnson short touchdowns in the second quarter then made San Francisco fans wonder if this game would ever end.
Kaepernick would run in a touchdown in the second quarter to put the 49ers on the board but they weren't going anywhere farther. The 49ers would be held to the lone touchdown on the afternoon as they move to 1-2 now, with the Cardinals moving to 3-0.
Larry Fitzgerald was active yet again as he caught 9 receptions for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fitzgerald seems back into prime form as Palmer and him have looked like the best QB/WR combo so far this season.
The 49ers had 10 first downs compared to Arizona's 28. The defense allowed 446 yards of total offense to the Cardinals and Arizona dominated the time of possession 36 minutes to 23.
The NFC West looks like it's the Cardinals/Seahawks show, as both teams have looked like the top dogs in the division. The Cardinals look like they want to be crowned champions this year as they have been rolling offensively and defensively. They haven't played dominating teams (Bears, Saints, and 49ers) but they have gotten it done when they needed to. Assuming the health of Carson Palmer isn't in question, this is the team we saw that started off undefeated last season with Palmer at the helm.
We have learned two things so far about the 49ers. 1. They showed they can beat the lower-tier teams, with their win over the Vikings. The second thing we learned was that this football team is nowhere near the top-half of the league's teams. The Cardinals and Steelers, although both quality teams, have weaknesses, but the 49ers defense has been so bad against both that it hasn't mattered. The 49ers' losing so many players on the off-season on the defensive side of the ball has absolutely dominated them and we better get ready for a bumpy season in San Francisco. This team is in rebuild mode and may not get out of it soon. One of the main concerns right now is how has or how can Colin Kaepernick improve this season?
Mitchell Evans is an editor for VAVEL USA. He covers the 49ers, SF Giants, Cal Bears, and Golden State Warriors.