GLENDALE, Ariz. (Interstat) — The San Francisco 49ers built a commanding early lead and withstood a prolific passing performance by Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett to defeat the Cardinals 41-22 on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

The 49ers improved to 7-4, while the Cardinals fell to 3-7. The result was an upset according to pregame projections, which had Arizona as a 3.5-point favorite.

San Francisco’s offense was ruthlessly efficient, scoring on its first two possessions to seize control. The tone was set immediately when the 49ers’ Shaquill Moore returned the opening kickoff 98 yards to the Arizona 1-yard line. On the next play, Christian McCaffrey plunged into the end zone for a touchdown just 16 seconds into the game.

The 49ers’ lead expanded to 13-0 on their next drive, capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to George Kittle. Purdy finished an efficient day, completing 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Arizona answered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes, culminating in a 6-yard touchdown run by Bam Knight to cut the deficit to 13-7.

San Francisco, however, continued its first-half dominance. Purdy connected with McCaffrey on a 9-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter, though the extra point was missed, making the score 19-7. After an Arizona field goal, the 49ers added two more field goals from Eddy Pineiro, from 48 and 47 yards, to take a 25-10 lead into halftime.

The 49ers extended their lead in the third quarter. Following another Pineiro field goal, Purdy found Kittle for their second scoring connection of the day, a 4-yard pass that gave San Francisco a 35-10 advantage.

Arizona mounted a late comeback attempt in the fourth quarter behind Brissett, who put up massive numbers in a losing effort. The quarterback completed 47 of 57 passes for 452 yards and two touchdowns. He led two long scoring drives, finding Trey McBride for a 10-yard touchdown and Greg Dortch for a 17-yard touchdown.

Both two-point conversion attempts failed, leaving the Cardinals trailing 41-22 with 2:43 remaining. Arizona’s subsequent onside kick was recovered by San Francisco, allowing the 49ers to run out the clock.

McCaffrey was a focal point for the 49ers, rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries while also catching five passes for 40 yards and another score. Kittle was Purdy’s top target, hauling in six receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Cardinals, Michael Wilson had a career day with 15 receptions for 185 yards. McBride added 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, linebacker Cody Simon led all players with 11 tackles for Arizona, while 49ers linebacker Curtis Robinson posted a team-high 12 tackles. San Francisco’s Deommodore Lenoir secured the game’s only interception.

The 49ers’ defense, while yielding significant yardage through the air, stiffened in the red zone for much of the game and made critical stops on two-point attempts to maintain a multi-possession lead. The victory avenged a narrow 16-15 win by San Francisco in the teams’ first meeting this season on Sept. 21.