Coming off of a bye week, the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) will look to cause chaos in the NFC West Division as they collide with the San Francisco 49ers (10-3) today.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Statistically, this is a mismatch.
The 49ers lead in yards-per-attack (9.8), first down percentage (43.2), 40+ yard passes (12), receiving yards per reception (14) and other stats in which they are in the top-5 of the NFL.
Quarterback Brock Purdy may not throw a ton with 359 attempts, but he is precisely accurate when he does, being the No. 1 in total quarterback rating (QBR).
So far, the Queen Creek native has passed for 3553 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Not only him, but San Francisco possesses the best running back in football, Christian McCaffrey.
With 1177 yards rushed on 226 carries and 12 touchdowns this season, McCaffrey is yet another weapon that poses a threat for the Cardinals defense to contain.
Let’s not forget about the 49ers defense being the backbone of their franchise for the past few years.
Regarded as one of the premier units in the league, San Francisco’s defensive arsenal can shutdown their opponents at anytime they want.
The good news for the Cardinals is, however, that the 49ers have multiple players out due to injuries and Arizona can take advantage.
NT Jason Hargrave, DE Arik Armstead and LB Oren Burks are all inactive this week while star CB Charvarius Ward is questionable, at the time of reporting.
Even though Arizona’s top wide receiver Marquise Brown is questionable as well, there will be other players that can make an impact today.
Trey McBride is just one reception away from the most catches from a Cardinals tight end in a season. Before kick-off, he has 56.
James Conner just had 105 yards rushing in Arizona’s most recent, 24-10 victory of the Pittsburgh Steelers, so it will interesting to see if the 49ers defense specifically locks him down or if Conner is allowed to impose his will and dominate.
However, some bad news for the Cardinals came out that star safety Budda Baker is now questionable himself after encountering an illness, according to team reporter Dani Sureck.
S Budda Baker (illness) has been added to the injury report and is questionable for today’s #SFvsAZ game
— Arizona Cardinals Insiders 🎤🎙 (@AZCardsInsiders) December 17, 2023
On paper, San Fransisco should demolish Arizona, but any team on any given day can win, Â so it is all about which offense can get things rolling early and setting the tone on the defense end of the ball.
History
In 61 games, the Cardinals are 29-35-0 all-time against the 49ers.
The last time these two teams clashed was during Week 4 where Purdy was near-perfect with completing 20-21 passes, McCaffrey running for 100+ yards and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk having 148 yards of offense from six receptions in a 35-16 San Francisco win over Arizona.
Additionally, the 49ers have won the past three times the Cardinals have played them.
Stats Leaders
Passing
- Cardinals – QB Kyler Murray: 79-130, 864 Yards, 3 TD, 2 Interceptions
- 49ers – QB Brock Purdy: 252-359, 3553 Yards, 25 TD, 7 Interceptions.
Rushing
- Cardinals – RB James Conner: 129 Carries, 631 Yards, 4 TD.
- 49ers – RB Christian McCaffrey: 226 Carries, 1177 Yards, 12 TD.
Receiving
- Cardinals – TE Trey McBride: 56 Receptions, 610 Yards, 2 TD.
- 49ers – Brandon Aiyuk: 56 Receptions, 1053 Yards, 6 TD
Where to Watch
The Arizona Cardinals will host the San Francisco 49ers inside State Farm Stadium at 2:05 p.m. MST on CBS.
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Alec Cipollini covers the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
