SANTA CLARA – Party at Brock’s house!
The NFC-leading 49ers are going to Arizona for their next game, in what will be Brock Purdy’s first NFL appearance in his home state.
Purdy played for Perry High-Gilbert 45 miles southeast of State Farm Stadium, where he led Iowa State his junior year to a Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon on Jan. 2, 2021. The next day, that stadium hosted the 49ers’ 2020 season finale – against the Seattle Seahawks – to conclude their month-long residency in Arizona, after Santa Clara County’s banishment amid COVID concerns.
The 49ers lost a Week 5 return in 2021, then bypassed Arizona last year to face the host Cardinals in Mexico City, where the Niners won 38-10. Purdy knelt in the victory formation for that game’s final two snaps, and, two weeks later, he replaced an injured Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers’ quarterback.
Speaking of home fields, the 49ers (10-3) control their own destiny in securing the NFC playoffs’ No. 1 seed, a spot they moved into Sunday night after their 28-16 win over the Seahawks was coupled with the Eagles’ 33-13 loss to the host Dallas Cowboys.
Monday night, the 49ers became the first team to clinch a playoft berth, by virtue of the Green Bay Packers’ 24-22 loss to the New York Giants.
The Cardinals (3-10) won twice in their past four games prior to their Week 14 bye.
TOP FIVE STORYLINES
1. KYLER MURRAY’S RETURN
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is four games into his comeback from knee surgery. That sets up a reunion between the 2019 draft’s top two picks: Murray (No. 1) and Nick Bosa (No. 2). In April, ex-Cardinals GM Steve Keim shared this pre-draft story about Bosa: “We’re leaving the dinner and we’re walking out of Maestro’s in Fort Lauderdale and I’ll never forget, he puts his arm around me and Kliff Kingsbury — both of us — in basically a headlock and he said, ‘I think you guys are probably gonna end up taking that little quarterback (Murray). And if you do, he looked over at me, ‘Steve, I will haunt you for the rest of your career.’ We got into the SUV, Kliff and I did, to go back to the hotel and I remember we both looked at each other with wide eyes and I said to Kliff, ‘God I hope he can’t catch him’ and he really never did, which is a good thing.” Murray did not play in the past four games against the 49ers, and the last time he did, Bosa sacked him in a 2021 Niners win in Arizona.
2. ANGRY CONNER
James Conner was last seen by the 49ers confronting safety Talanoa Hufanga after their October game. Conner angrily shoved Hufanga and wagged his index finger at him, before George Kittle, Ambry Thomas and two 49ers staffers kept Hufanga from retaliating. Conner was restrained by Cardinals and ex-49ers offensive lineman Keith Ismael. In Conner’s last game, he ran for 105 yards (25 carries) and scored two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 24-13 win at Pittsburgh on Dec. 3. Conner won NFL Network’s “Angry Runs” award for shoving Patrick Peterson aside that game. Against the 49ers, he had 52 yards (11 carries) on Oct. 1, but he scored three touchdowns in a 2021 Cardinals win, so he’s dangerous.
James Conner and Talanoa Hufanga got into a scuffle after the Cardinals-49ers game. pic.twitter.com/smb7g31nTy
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 1, 2023
3. DEFENSIVE HEALTH
The 49ers’ defensive depth is being tested like never before this season. Especially concerning are injuries to defensive tackles Arik Armstead (foot, knee) and Javon Hargrave (hamstring), not to mention No. 1 cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin) and linebacker/enforcer Dre Greenlaw (hip, ankle). Coach Kyle Shanahan painted a vague yet optimistic picture of those injuries Monday. None sound like long-term or season-ending and, although those players have a chance to play this week, is it wise to risk further injury against a last-place, three-win team?
4. ANOTHER BYE TEAM
The Cardinals went through a “bonus” practice Monday, as they are the 49ers’ fourth opponent this season coming off a bye. The other three were in October: the Cleveland Browns (19-17 road loss, Oct. 15), the Cincinnati Bengals (31-17 home loss, Oct. 29) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (34-3 road win, Nov. 12). A Week 14 breather could recharge a Cardinals team that’s started an NFL-high 10 rookies. Since 2018, the Cardinals are 1-4 following their bye, though they did beat the 49ers post-bye in 2017 at Levi’s Stadium.
5. ZACH ERTZ WATCH?
The Cardinals released tight end Zach Ertz on Nov. 30, but he’s yet to sign with a team, and the 49ers have been reported as one of the contenders interested in him. The Cardinals’ leading receiver this season is Trey McBride, the first tight end drafted in 2022 (second round). McBride has 56 catches for 610 yards and just two touchdowns.
INJURIES TO WATCH
49ERS
DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring)
DT Arik Armstead (foot, knee)
CB Charvarius Ward (groin)
LB Dre Greenlaw (hip, ankle)
LB Oren Burks (knee tendinitis; out this week)
RB Elijah Mitchell (knee)
RG Spencer Burford (knee)
TE Ross Dwelley (ankle)
CB Darrell Luter Jr. (hamstring)
CARDINALS
WR Marquise Brown (heel)
WR Michael Wilson (shoulder)
RB Emari Demercado (neck)
TE Trey McBride (groin)
CB Antonio Hamilton (groin)
CB Sterling Thomas (ankle)
FS Jalen Thompson (ribs)
S Joey Blount (knee)
DT Kevin Strong (knee)
OT Elijah Wilkinson (neck)
LAST GAME
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The 49ers won 35-16 on Oct. 1 as Brock Purdy completed his first 13 passes and finished 21-of-22 for a franchise-record 95.2 completion percentage. Christian McCaffrey’s four touchdowns were one shy of the 49ers’ single-game record, and his first three scores came on their first three drives en route to a 21-3 lead. Cardinals rookie receiver Michael Wilson, a third-round find out of Stanford, caught two touchdown passes from fill-in quarterback Joshua Dobbs. As for the 49ers’ receivers, Brandon Aiyuk caught his six targets for 148 yards and McCaffrey had seven catches for 71 yards, leaving one catch for George Kittle (on a fourth-down conversion) and no targets for Deebo Samuel.
SERIES HISTORY
The 49ers lead 35-29 all-time and have won three consecutive regular-season meetings by a combined score of 111-39, including last year’s “road” game in Mexico City.
BETTING LINE
The 49ers, as has been the case in every game this season, are favored, and for a second straight week, it’s a 13 ½-point spread, which is where last game’s settled before the 49ers beat the Seahawks (by 12).
Prediction: 49ers 31, Cardinals 14
