Click here to see all recaps on a single page
| Other Week 12 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAL at SD | BUF at JAX | DEN at CHI | GB at DET | HOU at CLE | IND at ATL | MIA at PIT | MIN at NYG |
| NO at CAR | NYJ at DAL | OAK at KC | PHI at NE | SEA at STL | SF at ARI | TEN at CIN | WAS at TB |
Week 12 Game Recap: San Francisco 49ers 37, Arizona Cardinals 31
What you need to know
| San Francisco 49ers |
In overtime, both teams traded possessions , and it looked like the Cardinals were going to win, but Neil Rackers missed a 31 yard field goal left to give the 49ers the ball with 6:43 left to play. The 49ers offense ran three failed pass attempts and punted to the Arizona 12 yard line. An illegal block penalty on the Cardinals took the ball back to the team's three yard line. On the next play, the 49ers blitzed Warner and he was sacked by defensive tackle Ronald Fields, who caused the fumble that Banta-Cain recovered in the end zone for the win
Trent Dilfer had one of his better statistical games going 25 for 39 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to six different receivers and had no interceptions. Dilfer led the 49ers offense on scoring drives 32, 18, six, 88 and 70 yards. He threw touchdown passes to Vernon Davis (two yards) and Arnaz Battle (53 yards.)
Frank Gore combined for a total of 214 the 49ers 374 total net yards and scored on a 35 yard run up the middle to give the 49ers a 31-27 lead late in the fourth quarter. Gore rushed for 116 yards on 21 carries and added 11 receptions for 98 yards. He also scored on an 11 yard run in the second quarter.
The 49ers receiving corps of Arnaz Battle and Darrell Jackson had a mediocre game going a combined six receptions for only 100 net yards. Battle did score on a pretty 53 yard touchdown pass down the left side line to give the 49ers a third quarter to 24-21 lead.
| Arizona Cardinals |
The Cardinals offense started hot scoring on its first possession when Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald on a 28 yard touchdown pass. It was the first time the Cardinals scored a touchdown on its first possession in 2007. On the Cardinals' next four series, the team punted twice and had two turnovers to give the 49ers a 17-7 lead. The Cardinals fought back and scored on the last play of the first half when Warner threw a 48 yard Hail Mary pass to Larry Fitzgerald, who out leaped the 49ers defenders to come down with the ball. That play gave the Cardinals a 21-17 lead into the half.
In overtime, it appeared that the Cardinals had the game won, when Warner hit little used wide receiver Sean Morey on a 62 yard reception down to the 49ers 24 yard line. Four plays later, Rackers hit a 27 yard field goal, but a delay of game penalty nullified the play. On the next play. Rackers missed his 32 yard try left to give the 49ers the ball with 6:43 to play. After three failed 49ers pass attempts, the 49ers punted to Steve Breaston who caught the ball on his own four yard line and returned it 13 yards. But an illegal block in the back, took the Cardinals back to their own three yard line, where on the next play Warner dropped back into the end zone and was hit by 49er defensive tackle Ronald Fields, who caused the fumble recovered in the end zone by the 49ers Tully Banta-Cain for the win.
Despite the loss, Kurt Warner had his best statistical game of the season going 34 of 48 for 484 yards and two touchdowns. He hit eight different receivers, but was sacked four times.
As in game's past, Tim Rattay came in to substitute for Warner when the Cardinals were in their goal line offense. With ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter, on a fourth and goal at the one yard line, Rattay hit tight end Ben Patrick in the back of the end zone to give the Cardinals a 28-24 lead.
Edgerrin James found the running against the 49ers defense unusually tough. He finished the game with only 78 yards on 17 carries and no touchdowns. When the Cardinals went into goal line formation, James was substituted for by Marcel Shipp, who scored on a one yard touchdown run, and had all of his total 14 yards in the Cardinals' goal line or short yardage offense.
Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Bryant Johnson, all at times found the 49ers defenders easy to catch passes against. Fitzgerald ended the game with nine catches for 156 yards and two scores. Boldin finished with six catches for 76 yards, and Johnson with five catches for 80 yards. Sean Morey added another 79 yards on four grabs.
What you ought to know
| QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 25 - 39 - 256 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 10 - 0 |
Dilfer had an efficient game and did not throw an INT. He tossed touchdown passes to Vernon Davis (2 yards) and Arnaz Battle (57 yards). He avoided the Cardinal rush and looked comfortable at times throwing the ball down field and on target. He took the 49ers on scoring drives of 32, 18, 6, 88 and 70 yards. He was sacked three times, and had one scramble for 10 yards.
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 21 - 116 - 2, Rec: 11 - 98 - 0 (12 targets) |
Gore was the workhorse of the 49ers offense running the ball for 116 yards on 21 carries. Gore scored on an 11 yard run early in the second quarter, and again on a 35 yard scamper late in the fourth quarter. Gore was targeted several times out of the backfield by Dilfer, and ended the game with 11 receptions for 98 yards. He had a long run of 35 yards and earned his paycheck this week from the 49ers front office.
| RB Maurice Hicks, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 |
Hicks had two short runs in the 49ers scheme that featured Gore as its exclusive runner.
| WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 5 - 43 - 0 (9 targets) |
Jackson was targeted often across the middle and had a couple of drops in this game. In all, he finished with five catches for 43 yards, with a long reception of ten yards.
| WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 1 - 57 - 1 (5 targets) |
Battle scored on a 57 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the 49ers the lead. Battle caught the ball on an out pattern, and juked his way past the Cardinals defender down the left sideline.
| WR Ashley Lelie (2 targets) |
Although Lelie was not a factor in the game, he was targeted once on a third and one on the Cardinals one yard line.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 6 - 45 - 1 (7 targets) |
Davis scored on a two yard pass early in the first quarter. He was targeted a total of seven times and had a long reception of 26 yards. Along with Gore, he looked to be a favored target of Dilfer.
| PK Joe Nedney 1 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points |
Nedney converted on one of two field goals. He made a 19 yarder, but missed a 55 yard try wide right , with six seconds left in the first half.
| SF Rush Defense |
The 49ers rush defense held Edgerrin James to 79 yards on 17 carries. The Cardinals' rushing total was only 96 yards for the game, with the longest run surrendered was nine yards. They did give up a one yard scoring run to Marcel Shipp
| SF Pass Defense |
The 49ers pass defense gave up 484 yards to Warner, but came up with the biggest play in the game with its sack of Warner and fumble recovery to give the 49ers the win. The allowed 34 completions to eight different receivers and three touchdown catches on the day, including an inexcusable 48 yard Hail Mary catch on the game's last play of the first half. Not a good statistical game from a defensive perspective.
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 34 - 48 - 484 - 2 TD / 2 INT |
Warner started hot completing four of his first five passes including a 28 yard touchdown strike to Larry Fitzgerald in the team's first drive, and again to Fitzgerald on a 48 yard Hail Mary pass to end the first half. Warner had 206 yards on 13 for 19 and two touchdowns in the first half alone. He ended with a season high of 484 yards on 34 of 48 and two touchdowns. He was sacked in the end zone giving the 49ers the win in overtime. He was sacked a total of four times, and threw two interceptions.
| QB Tim Rattay, Pass: 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 TD / 0 INT |
In the second quarter, Rattay came in for Warner on a first and goal at the 49ers one yard line. He handed off to Marcel Shipp for the one yard touchdown run.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 17 - 78 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) |
James found the running against the 49ers rush defense unusually tough going for only 78 yards on 17 carries. He also caught two passes for 11 yards. Many of James' runs were up the middle against a stout 49ers defense.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 2 - 4 - 0, Rec: 5 - 26 - 0 (6 targets) |
Arrington spelled James on a couple of series and had two runs for four yards. He caught five balls out of the backfield for 26 yards.
| RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 5 - 14 - 1 |
Shipp scored on a one yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He also converted on a fourth and one late in the third quarter gaining four yards for the first down. He gained all his yardage in short yardage or goal line offense situations.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 9 - 156 - 2 (16 targets) |
Fitzgerald scored on a 28 yard pass play in the first quarter, and then again on the last play of the first half on a Hail Mary 48 yard strike, where he out leaped the 49er defenders in the end zone. Fitzgerald was easily the game's most targeted receiver with 16 balls thrown his way. He was instrumental on the Cardinals' last game tying drive where he caught three balls for 43 yards on the drive. In his last three games, Fitzgerald has totaled 25 receptions for 323 yards and five touchdowns.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 6 - 76 - 0 (7 targets) |
Boldin had six receptions for 76 yards, but was kept out of the end zone. He fumbled on a slant pattern early in the second quarter, but at times found the 49er defense of little resistance.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 5 - 80 - 0 (7 targets) |
Johnson finished the game with five receptions and 80 yards. He was targeted deep twice and hauled in a pass late in the fourth quarter on a over the shoulder grab down to the 49ers one yard line. Two plays later Rackers kicked the tying field goal to send the game into overtime.
| WR Sean Morey, Rec: 4 - 79 - 0 (7 targets) |
Morey had a productive game hauling in four catches for 79 yards. He had an instrumental catch late into overtime when he caught a pass short and turned it into a 62 yard completion down to the 49ers 24 yard line.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (3 targets) |
Pope had two receptions for 39 yards with a long catch of 31 yards when he beat the 49ers defense up the middle.
| TE Ben Patrick, Rec: 2 - 19 - 1 (2 targets) |
Patrick had his first NFL touchdown when he caught a touchdown pass from Tim Rattay on a fourth and one from the 49ers two yard line.
| PK Neil Rackers 1 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points |
Rackers missed on a potential game winning 32 yard field goal with 6:56 in overtime. One play earlier, he had converted on a 27 yard attempt to win the game, but a delay of game penalty nullified the attempt. He hit an 18 yarder to tie the score at the end of the game. He also had four extra point attempts.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The rush defense at times played very well, but ended up giving yardage to Gore late in the second half. In total, they gave up 137 yards on 25 runs and two scores, both to Gore 11 yards and 35 yards. The Cardinals' rush defense came up big in the fourth quarter, stuffing Frank Gore for no gain on a fourth and one from the Arizona 38 yard line with 5:43 remaining in the game.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The pass defense allowed a two yard touchdown catch to Vernon Davis in the first quarter, and another 57 yard touchdown catch to Arnaz Battle in the third quarter. The defense suffered the loss of starting cornerback Eric Green early in the second quarter. They did not have an interception, but sacked Dilfer three times.
