The 49ers (1-3) host the Arizona Cardinals (2-2) at 3Com Park for a 1:00 PT kickoff in the second NFC West game of the year for both teams.
Jake Plummer is in his fourth season as Arizona's starter under second-year head coach Dave McGinnis. Rookie Thomas Jones is the back; David Boston, the second-year wideout, is the WR1. Arizona opened 2-1 before the Week 4 loss in Washington and is 1-0 inside the division after a Week 1 win over the Giants.[1][2]
The schedule line says the 49ers are home favorites Sunday for the first time this calendar year. The line is right. Arizona is a 2-2 team with two close wins and one of the conference's softer defensive backups at safety. Jake Plummer, four years into his career, has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns across both seasons since 1998. The 49ers' Sunday issue is the Charlie Garner question. The lead back, off a 36-carry day, is on the injury report with a hip.
Week 5 begins October with the league's first divisional standings sorting themselves out. The Rams remain undefeated in the NFC. The Vikings sit at 4-0. The Jets at 4-0 are the AFC's surprise. Inside the NFC West the Rams are 4-0, the Saints 3-1, the Panthers 2-2, the 49ers and Cardinals tied for the bottom at 1-3 and 2-2 respectively. The Sunday at 3Com is the divisional separator.
Through four games the 49ers sit at 1-3 with a minus 24 differential. Garcia averages 240 passing yards per game and is now 4-of-4 on touchdown-passing days going back through 1999. Garner posted 201 in the Week 4 win; questionable for Sunday with the hip. The Cardinals are 2-2 with Plummer averaging 220 passing yards per game and a turnover rate near 4 percent. Boston is averaging 4 catches a game across the first four weeks.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-1 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2-1 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-2 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-2 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-3 | L3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-3 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 4-0 | W4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-1 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-1 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-1 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 3-1 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-2 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-2 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-2 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 4-0 | W4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-2 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-2 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-3 | L2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-3 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-0 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-1 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-1 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-2 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 3-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-2 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-2 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-2 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-3 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 5 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Wade Richey kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Cary Blanchard 32 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| 49ers | Wade Richey 33 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| 49ers | Charlie Garner 1 yard rush ( Wade Richey kick) | 3-17 |
| Cardinals | David Boston 56 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Cary Blanchard kick) | 10-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Charlie Garner 1 yard rush ( Wade Richey kick) | 10-24 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Wade Richey 29 yard field goal | 10-27 |
| Cardinals | Cary Blanchard 27 yard field goal | 13-27 |
| Cardinals | Thomas Jones 4 yard rush ( Cary Blanchard kick) | 20-27 |
Jeff Garcia ran for two touchdowns and threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Jerry Rice, and the 49ers beat the Cardinals 27-20 at 3Com Park to move to 2-3. Charlie Garner played through the hip and ran 21 times for 77 with two touchdowns. Garcia added 36 rushing yards on six scrambles. David Boston caught five for 87 with a touchdown; Jake Plummer went 24 of 41 for 239. The 49ers led 24-10 at halftime and held on after Arizona scored 10 in the fourth quarter.[1][2]
Charlie Garner played through a hip pointer and ran for two touchdowns. Jeff Garcia ran for thirty-six on six scrambles and the 49ers won 27-20 at 3Com Park on the kind of Sunday where the offense did not look like the offense from Texas Stadium and still looked good enough to win.
The 49ers led 24-10 at the half. Arizona cut it to 24-13 with a Bill Gramatica field goal, then to 24-20 on a Plummer-to-Boston touchdown that the 49ers' secondary handed up on a back-shoulder fade. Wade Richey hit a 47-yarder with under three minutes to make it a seven-point game. Garcia closed it on a third-down conversion to Rice; Owens did not catch a pass in the final fifteen minutes.
49ers 27, Cardinals 20. Margin: plus 7. Record: 2-3, minus 17 differential. • Garcia: 22-of-33 for 220, 1 TD (to Rice); 6 rushes for 36, no rushing TDs. • Garner: 21 carries for 77, 2 rushing TDs (played through hip pointer). • Rice: 7 catches for 66, 1 TD. • Stokes: 4 catches for 62. • Plummer: 24-of-41 for 239, 1 TD, 0 INTs. • Boston: 5 catches for 87, 1 TD. • Cardinals quarter scoring: 0, 10, 0, 10. • 49ers third-down conversion: 7-of-13.
A 27-20 home win over the Cardinals. The 49ers move to 2-3 and pull within a game of the Panthers for fourth in the NFC West.
How it unfolded
Garcia opened with a 10-play scoring drive ending in the Rice 14-yard touchdown. Garner ran in his first touchdown to make it 14-0. Arizona responded with a Gramatica field goal before the Boston touchdown made it 14-10 at the second-quarter buzzer. The 49ers added a Richey field goal early in the second quarter and the second Garner touchdown to lead 24-10 at the half. The third quarter was scoreless. Arizona cut it to 24-13 on a fourth-quarter field goal and 24-20 on the Boston touchdown. Richey's 47-yarder with 2:55 left made it a 7-point game. Garcia closed it with the third-down conversion to Rice that produced the kneel-down sequence.
The turning point
The second Garner touchdown. With the 49ers up 17-10 in the second quarter and the offense facing a fourth-and-goal from the 2, the staff called a Garner inside dive that produced the score and the 14-point cushion. From there the visitors needed two scores and the 49ers' defense managed to keep them one short for the rest of the afternoon.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 22/33 | 220 | 1 | 0 | |
| ARI | |||||
| Jake Plummer | 24/41 | 239 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Charlie Garner | 21 | 77 | 2 | 15 |
| Jeff Garcia | 6 | 36 | 0 | 12 |
| Fred Beasley | 5 | 17 | 0 | 6 |
| ARI | ||||
| Michael Pittman | 11 | 72 | 0 | 27 |
| Thomas Jones | 10 | 36 | 1 | 13 |
| Jake Plummer | 3 | 18 | 0 | 9 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 7 | 66 | 1 | 17 |
| J.J. Stokes | 4 | 62 | 0 | 22 |
| Tai Streets | 4 | 47 | 0 | 22 |
| Greg Clark | 2 | 24 | 0 | 17 |
| Charlie Garner | 2 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| Fred Beasley | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| ARI | ||||
| David Boston | 5 | 87 | 1 | 56 |
| Michael Pittman | 6 | 72 | 0 | 35 |
| Mac Cody | 3 | 30 | 0 | 12 |
| Thomas Jones | 4 | 15 | 0 | 11 |
| Terry Hardy | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| MarTay Jenkins | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Frank Sanders | 2 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2000 W5 - 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals - Game Thread