Cardinals Exposed: What We Learned From Their Blowout Loss to the 49ers

Another week, another loss for the Arizona Cardinals, as they took a brutal defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners won 41-22, with Arizona dominated in all phases for the second straight week against a divisional opponent.

With the 19-point loss to San Francisco, the Cardinals drop to 3-7, and their playoff hopes are almost completely gone. It was another extremely frustrating performance, and another example of Arizona getting overmatched by a team it was supposed to contend with for the division.

While losses are becoming commonplace for the Cardinals, each game presents its own set of takeaways, and the defeat to San Francisco is no different. Even if most of them are negative, we still learned a lot about the Cardinals on Sunday.

With that, here are three takeaways from the latest Arizona loss.

Once again, Cardinals didn’t come ready to play

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Skyy Moore (9) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Just like last week’s matchup with the Seahawks, the Cardinals found themselves down early. They didn’t appear ready once 2:05 p.m. rolled around at State Farm Stadium.

On the opening kickoff, Skyy Moore returned Chad Ryland’s kick 98 yards to the 1-yard line, and one play later, Christian McCaffrey punched it in to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead.

Arizona’s offense didn’t respond, and the Niners scored a touchdown on their next drive, making it 13-0 with 9:51 left in the first quarter. Barely five minutes in, the Cardinals were down two scores — marking the second straight game they trailed by two touchdowns before the first quarter was halfway through.

The Cardinals did get on the board on the ensuing series, but they never truly made a game out of it after falling behind 13-0 so early. At halftime, San Francisco led 25-10, and by the end of the third quarter, it was 35-10.

That’s the second straight week an opponent scored 35-plus before the fourth quarter began, as Arizona’s defense simply couldn’t keep up. From the very beginning, the Cardinals were outplayed. The Niners were ready for action, while Arizona looked like it was sleepwalking through the first three quarters.

RECAP: 49ers Dominate Week 11 as Cardinals Exposed Again

Undisciplined football on full display

The Cardinals set a new franchise record for penalties and penalty yards, making it painfully clear that they hurt themselves throughout Sunday’s contest.

Jonathan Gannon’s team committed 17 penalties for 130 yards, while the 49ers were called for just one flag for 15 yards — an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Arizona, meanwhile, was flagged for those all afternoon.

And that's all about discipline. The Cardinals showed almost no composure once the 49ers took a big lead, and the penalties reflected that. It wasn’t just late in the game either — 11 of their 17 penalties came in the first half.

When Arizona was trying to stay competitive, it killed its own momentum with drive-stalling mistakes. While the scoreboard shows that San Francisco beat the Cardinals, you could argue they beat themselves just as badly.

Sunday marked the sixth time Arizona has totaled double-digit penalties during Gannon’s tenure, as coaching issues have continued to surface. While change is a hotly debated topic, the facts are the facts — and 17 penalties, a franchise record, says plenty about how this coaching staff is performing.

READ: Key Stats Expose How Cardinals Lost to the 49ers

Cardinals remain doormat of the NFC West

This is a big-picture takeaway, but still an important one: Arizona’s divisional record is now 0-4, with sweeps by both Seattle and San Francisco.

This was supposed to be a team in the thick of the divisional race, but after Week 11, the Cardinals have been left behind while the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers fight for the NFC West crown.

And this is nothing new. If the standings hold, 2025 will be the eighth time in the last nine seasons that Arizona finishes either third or fourth in the division. The Cardinals haven’t won the NFC West since 2015, while all three of their rivals have made a Super Bowl in the last 12 years.

A win Sunday wouldn’t have vaulted them back into the race, but it would’ve shown they can at least compete within the division. Instead, they’re 0-4 — and there’s not much optimism they’ll avoid a sweep by the Rams. In a league where divisional games matter so much, Gannon’s team has repeatedly failed in the most important moments.

There’s plenty of frustration stemming from Arizona’s loss to San Francisco, but their continued inability to compete within the division might be the biggest takeaway of all.

Gannon is now 3-13 against the NFC West in his career, and if you include the 2021 playoff game against the Rams, he’s 3-14. That’s unacceptable for an NFL head coach, and if you take nothing else away from Sunday, that’s the statistic that should stick with you as the Cardinals decide whether to make changes moving forward.