SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Upon welcoming quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Ricky Pearsall back from extended injury absences on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers viewed their Week 11 game against the Arizona Cardinals as the most important contest on their schedule.

The thought, according to multiple players, was that at 6-4 and coming off a deflating loss to the Los Angeles Rams , the Niners had reached a tipping point in their season. Purdy and Pearsall's return, the 49ers hoped, would provide the spark they needed not just to beat the Cardinals but to break their habit of alternating wins and losses.

As it turned out, San Francisco completed the first step on that check list, beating the Cardinals 41-22 in a game that was never close. The win moved the 49ers to 7-4 overall and

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