Standouts from San Francisco 49ers’ Week 3 Loss

Perrish Cox

Sep 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox (20) during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Perrish Cox played surprisingly well on Sunday. As another guy trying to make up for the absence of Brock, Cox performed admirably.

Cox spent most of the early part of his career as a return specialist, playing defensive back only in nickel and dime sets. But in a tough spot against the Cardinals, while Culliver and Ward struggled, Cox stepped up.

He covered well on a deep ball to Floyd, knocking the ball away, but dropping what could have been a game-changing interception. He jumped routes well, recovered quickly when he did get beat, and made some great plays to get between his receiver and the ball.

He also tackled well in the open field, making a couple nice stops near the sidelines on run plays. His time as a special teamer obviously helped with that.

If Brock misses more time, Cox may be in for some more playing time in the defensive backfield. He needs to continue to build off his solid performance against Arizona to have an impact going forward. He will be even more vital if Culliver and Ward underperform as they have the last two weeks.