Jeremiyah Love Finally Comes Alive, But Cardinals Can't Keep Up With 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals' rookie looks great, but right now it doesn't even matter.

Sep 27, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (14) makes a catch against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) in the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's halftime between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers in Week 3.

The good news? Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love looks strong. After weeks of being an afterthought in the offense, Love finally saw an expanded role and made good on it. Love's tallied ten rushes for 49 yards (4.9 YPC) with three receptions for ten yards.

The bad news? The 49ers lead 17-6 at halftime and will get the ball to start the second half.

The Niners have been in full control from the opening kickoff, flexing their muscles on both sides of the football while Arizona's very much suffered from a mix of penalties and overall poor play.

However, field goals from the offense and forced punts defensively near the end of the first half have kept the Cardinals within reach of San Francisco.

Love's humming entering the break, and Arizona may very well turn to the rookie runner more in the second half.

This was a breakout Love was projecting when speaking with reporters ahead of Week 3.

"On a personal level, you know, I want to bust out where I want to go crazy every single game. Last week I just didn't do it. ... It's kind of hard. I come from a place where I'm going crazy every week, and it's kind of humbling a little bit," Love said leading into the week.

"I'm in a different place, different team. I got to get used to just the situation that I'm in, and it's been a challenge. But I'm up for the challenge, and I'm excited to come out this week. Reset every single week to go out there and try to be my best. But as of late, I kind of been learning from the past, and just trying to be better in the future."

All Eyes Were On Fred Warner Matchup

Love spoke fairly glowingly of facing off against 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, saying he had this matchup "circled" in San Francisco:

“This week it’s been a heavy focus on him and being aware of him and just his ability to make plays. I’m excited to play against him," Love said to reporters this week.

"I want to see what he’s about first-hand and just play some good ball against some good guys. It's a blessing to be here in the NFL. I get to play against great guys every single week, and he's just one of those guys where, I kind of got him like circled. I want to see what he's about. I want to see how I fare against Fred Warner and really just the whole secondary, like those guys are great."

The second half holds hope for things to open up even more for Love, so long as the Cardinals' offense lets him.