49ers vs. Cardinals 45-29

The San Francisco 49ers hit the road in Week 15 for their second-to-last divisional matchup of the season. Just like in 2022, the red and gold had the opportunity to secure the NFC West crown in Week 15, and did just that, with a 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The victory in Arizona also keeps the team at the top of the conference standings and in the driver's seat of their playoff positioning. This road trip also has a personal element for starting quarterback Brock Purdywho made his first-career start in his home state.

The Cardinals found themselves at midfield in one play after a 26-yard completion down the seam. They were insistent on attacking the areas where the 49ers are vulnerable, but for you to be effective, your quarterback has to have a rocket arm.

That arm wasn’t strong enough on Murray’s ensuing pass. Charvarius Ward jumped in front of a late throw over the middle and looked like he was shot out of a cannon. Ward raced 66 yards to put the 49ers up 14-7.

Arizona put themselves in scoring position for the third consecutive drive. This time, it was a rush of 19 yards. Nick Bosa’s sack helped stall the drive, but Matt Prater’s 58-yard field goal was good. That made the score 14-10.

The Cardinals hung around with the 49ers in the first half, trailing 21-13 at the break. Arizona found some success running the ball for 234 yards, but the defense could not string together stops. The 49ers scored on six of eight possessions, excluding the end of the first half and the kneel downs at the end of the game.

Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State and took over as San Francisco’s starter for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers rolled into 2023 with Purdy as QB1, and he is in the thick of the MVP race with the 49ers atop the NFC.

The 49ers clinched the NFC West crown with Sunday’s win, while the Cardinals made up ground in the race for the No. 1 overall pick with the Carolina Panthers winning (2-12).

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Sarah H

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