SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The video of Sunday's game will provide the Cardinals with a long list of issues with which they must correct, and Steve Wilks acknowledged that when it was over.

But it didn't stop the half-smile the Cardinals coach had when he was finally asked about how special his first victory was on a personal level.

"Yes it does," said Wilks, after the Cardinals beat the 49ers, 28-18, at Levi's Stadium for Wilks' first win and the Cards' first in five games this season. "Do you know what I've been dealing with the last four weeks? Really? Yes, it feels great.

"Hopefully it's the first of many."

Save for the 75-yard touchdown pass Josh Rosen threw to Christian Kirk on the first offensive play, little was pretty for the Cardinals Sunday. But Wilks talked about how "there is no such thing as an ugly win," and for all the flaws, there were bouts of attractiveness.

Five turnovers will do that, including a crucial strip-sack by linebacker Haason Reddick that fellow linebacker Josh Bynes returned 23 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to expand the lead the lead to nine points. The Rosen bomb on the first play too could make a coach swoon.

The defense was beat up on the ground again – 147 yards rushing for the 49ers (1-4), who were down to their third-string running back – and post-Kirk score, the offense again slogged far too often. The 49ers managed to run an astounding 92 plays, beating the Cardinals badly in first downs (33-10) and time of possession (40:12 to 19:48).

For the day, though, the scoreboard was enough.

"To get that first one was great," said safety Tre Boston, who had an interception. "Now we have to keep that momentum."