Arizona Cardinals Look To Clinch Playoff Against San Francisco 49ers

NFL News - December 8th, 2009 - Written by John

When the San Francisco 49ers host Arizona this week, it will be nothing short of desperation time for a team "also in the mix" of a wild card berth. With seven losses, it may already be too late, but a win would certainly buy another day.

What better for a late-season Monday Night Football game?

The once-dominant Niners haven't beaten the Cardinals three times in the last five years, and won't be favored to break that trend this week. Arizona has a three-point edge, according to BetUS, with a total of 44 1/2.

With Kurt Warner back in the lineup, the Cardinals throttled the Minnesota Vikings last week, beating one of the hottest teams in the league by 13. It was an upset of sorts, in that the team had been mediocre against quality opponents, but proved to have as much offensive power as a year ago. Another win this week will give the Cardinals the division outright, and leave the Niners scouting for next year's draft.

Larry Fitzgerald led all receivers with 147 yards, and Anquan Boldin scored twice against a shaky pass defense that ranks six spots higher than San Francisco's.

Warner threw for 285 yards and three scores in his return from a concussion, and is 5-1 on the road this season.

But San Francisco has done most of it's damage at home this year, going 4-2, and it's lone divisional road win came in Week One against Arizona. Alex Smith threw for a career-high 310 yards and two touchdowns last week, but lost 20-17 to the Seattle Seahawks.

Smith has finally begun to live up to some of the expectations that made him the first overall pick in 2005, throwing seven touchdowns and only one pick in the last three games. But it is clear the team goes as running back Frank Gore goes. Last week, he only carried the ball nine times for 25 yards, making it substantially easier for Seattle to keep the points to a minimum.

"Any time you play a team that rushes for almost 300 yards, why not do that again -- or at least attempt to?" Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry said about Gore, who ran for 202 yards in the previous meeting. "It's a load off when they take care of one of our problems for us. It was ... beautiful."

Running the ball will be essential as the Cardinals boast the 12th-best rush defense in the league. San Francisco's is sixth, but has far less to worry about with Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. They have only one 100-yard game between them and rank 26th overall.