The 49ers’ special teams gave them a 10-point swing in the second quarter today against the Cardinals.
Arizona’s Chad Ryland attempted a 45-yard field goal, and San Francisco’s Jordan Elliott blocked it. Deommodore Lenoir scooped it up and raced 61 yards for a touchdown.
The field goal would have tied the score 13-13, but instead the return touchdown extended the 49ers’ lead to 20-10.
The bad news for the 49ers is that on the ensuing kickoff, kicker Jake Moody tried to make a tackle and hurt his ankle in the process. He limped off the field and was getting checked by the medical staff on the sideline. When the 49ers kicked a field goal before halftime, it was punter Mitch Wishnowsky who made it from 26 yards to extend the lead to 23-10.
The 49ers also lost safety Talanoa Hufanga with a wrist injury.
It’s a brutally hot day at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the kickoff temperature was 95 degrees and it reached 100 in the first half. That makes today the hottest game in the stadium’s history. Players are going to be exhausted by the time this one is over, and the 49ers are well positioned to hold on after their big special teams play gave them a 10-point lead.