The Arizona Cardinals fell to the San Francisco 49ers, 36-30.
In our Week 3 game preview, we predicted the Cardinals would lose in a shootout to the 49ers but cover the 8.5 spread, with a final prediction of 30-23.
Both offenses exceeded expectations, which typically favors Arizona's style of play. The Cardinals entered Santa Clara as the far healthier team, yet couldn't contain Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey in the Kyle Shanahan-led offense.
Mike LaFleur entered this contest after spending seven seasons under Shanahan's offense. You could feel all the disadvantages working against Arizona, who not only were playing on the road but also felt like the little brother in more ways than one.
Here are the Cardinals who have helped their stock and those that haven't after a predictable but disappointing Week 3 loss to the 49ers.
Winner: Jeremiyah Love
Love finally emerged as the workhorse in the Cardinals' backfield in Week 3, finishing with 21 carries for 90 yards rushing, plus 5 receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown. Love showcased his three-down skill set through two weeks with the Cardinals, but these 26 total touches are encouraging for his rookie season outlook.
The fact that Tyler Allgeier had just two carries compared to Love's 21 suggests this may no longer be an even timeshare going forward.
Winner: Michael Wilson
Arizona wide receiver Michael Wilson finished with a team-high 11 receptions on 17 targets, recording 89 yards and one touchdown.
Wilson will likely get the spotlight as a pass catcher, and rightfully so after he's done so much for this Cardinals offense through the first three weeks. Outside of tight end Trey McBride, he's been their most consistent pass-catching option, especially with Marvin Harrison Jr.'s early struggles.
That should only make Arizona's front office feel even better about extending Wilson to a three-year, $75 million deal. Drawing 17 targets is incredibly telling about Wilson's connection with Brissett, strengthening his case as their WR1 for this season.
Winner: Jacoby Brissett
Jacoby Brissett failed to reach 100 passing yards in Week 2, forcing the Cardinals front office to question whether reworking his contract was actually in their best interest.
Fortunately, Brissett bounced back in Week 3, completing 38-of-52 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
That works out to just 5.4 yards per attempt, which looks surprisingly low given the 36-30 outcome. It's a testament to Brissett's bounceback after his rough Week 2 outing against the Seattle Seahawks, a defense head coach Mike LaFleur credits as being the best in the league.
Brissett even worked through pressure against this underrated 49ers defense, overcoming more injuries to their defense than I can count on a single hand. San Francisco still did a good job generating pressure on Brissett, which says a lot about Arizona's offensive line woes that still need to be addressed.
All things considered, this was a more predictable Cardinals loss under Brissett. He successfully got Arizona's playmakers in space against a depleted San Francisco defense, but it ultimately wasn't enough to overcome their defensive flaws playing against an underrated Purdy at home.
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