The 49ers (9-5) host the Arizona Cardinals (5-9) at Candlestick Park for a 1:15 PT kickoff in the NFC West home division rematch.
Jake Plummer starts at quarterback for Arizona. Marcel Shipp runs the ball. David Boston leads the receivers. Jeff Garcia starts for the 49ers; Kevan Barlow at running back; Tai Streets at receiver.
The NFC West clinch game Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. The 49ers (9-5), off the cross-conference road loss to the Packers, host the 5-9 Arizona Cardinals in the kind of division home rematch where a win clinches the NFC West title.
Jeff Garcia stays the starter. Kevan Barlow at running back. Tai Streets at receiver. The Cardinals come in with Jake Plummer at quarterback and Marcel Shipp as the lead back.
Favored by 7 at home. The kind of home game where, with the NFC West championship at stake, the year's identity tape needs to produce the kind of statement game the playoff race requires.
Week 16 across the NFC sees the playoff field forming. The Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Bears, and Packers compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (9-5) lead the NFC West and need a win to clinch. The Cardinals (5-9) are eliminated. The Sunday game is the kind of week where the 49ers, with the division title on the line, need to produce the kind of statement game the offseason will remember.
Through fourteen games the 49ers are 9-5 with a +24 point differential. Jeff Garcia averages 7.4 yards per attempt with 20 TDs and nine INTs. Garrison Hearst returned from injury. Tai Streets averages 78 receiving yards a game. The defense allows 17.8 points per game. The Cardinals are 5-9 with Jake Plummer at quarterback. Marcel Shipp averages 80 rushing yards a game. David Boston leads the team in receiving. Vegas opens the 49ers as 7-point home favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 9-5 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 8-6 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-7 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 7-7 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-5-1 | W1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-7 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-7 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-13 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-5 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 9-5 | W3 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-8 | W1 |
| Houston Texans | 4-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 9-5 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-6 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-6 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-7 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 9-5 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 6-8 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5-9 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-3 | W5 |
| New York Giants | 8-6 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-9 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 11-3 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-10 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-10 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-11 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 11-3 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 9-5 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-5-1 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-9 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Fred Beasley 25 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jeff Chandler kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Kevin Kasper 4 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Bill Gramatica kick) | 7-7 |
| 49ers | Jeff Chandler 24 yard field goal | 10-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Garrison Hearst 8 yard rush ( Jeff Chandler kick) | 17-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Kevin Kasper 6 yard pass from Jake Plummer ( Bill Gramatica kick) | 17-14 |
Jeff Garcia threw a touchdown pass and the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-14 at Candlestick Park to clinch the NFC West title. Garcia finished 23-of-39 for 256 yards. Tai Streets caught eight for 90. Kevan Barlow ran for 50. The defense intercepted Jake Plummer. The 49ers clinched the NFC West and improved to 10-5 with the kind of division home win the season has been building toward.[1][2][3]
Jeff Garcia threw a touchdown pass Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. The 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-14 to clinch the NFC West title. The kind of division home win where, with the playoff race officially on the team's side and the year's identity tape producing the kind of statement game the offseason will remember, Steve Mariucci's sixth year delivered the kind of championship the conference expected.
Garcia was 23-of-39 for 256 with the touchdown. Tai Streets caught eight for 90. Kevan Barlow ran for 50. Jake Plummer threw for 109 with two TDs and an INT. The defense produced the kind of stops the year's identity has been promising.
10-5. The kind of division home win where the NFC West title was clinched and the year's identity tape produced the kind of championship-clinching game the staff has been hoping for. The St. Louis Rams on the road next Sunday for the season finale. The kind of December where the 49ers' competitive identity, with the division title in hand and the playoffs locked in, has the kind of season-ending position the offseason will remember favorably.
49ers 17, Cardinals 14. Margin: +3. Fifteen-game record: 10-5 (clinched NFC West), +27 differential.
* Jeff Garcia: 23-of-39 for 256, 1 TD, 1 INT.
* Kevan Barlow: 13 carries for 50.
* Tai Streets: 8 catches for 90.
* Jake Plummer: 16-of-26 for 109, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
* Marcel Shipp: 20 carries for 84.
* David Boston: receiving production.
* 49ers D: 1 INT of Plummer.
* 49ers 10-5 (clinched NFC West); Cardinals 5-10.
A 17-14 division home win over the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick. The 49ers clinch the NFC West title with the win. The 49ers improve to 10-5.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored on their opening drive with a Jose Cortez field goal. The Cardinals answered with a Plummer touchdown to make it 7-3. The 49ers added a Garcia touchdown to take a 10-7 lead. The Cardinals added a second touchdown to make it 14-10. The fourth quarter was a 49ers field goal to tie at 14-14, then another field goal to push the lead to 17-14. The defense closed it out with an interception of Plummer.
The turning point
The 49ers' fourth-quarter rally. With the score 14-10 in the third quarter and the year's identity tape on the verge of the kind of division-title clinch the season has been building toward, the late-game field-goal drives gave the team the lead and the defense closed it out.
By the numbers
Garcia 256 passing on 39 attempts with a TD and an INT. Kevan Barlow 50 rushing on 13 carries. Tai Streets 90 receiving on 8 catches. Owens 47 receiving on 3 catches. Plummer 109 on 26 attempts with two TDs and an INT. Marcel Shipp 84 rushing.
Personnel watch
Jeff Garcia's clinching game. Tai Streets's 90-yard receiving day. Kevan Barlow's productive rushing. The defense's interception. The kind of division home win where the year's identity tape produced the kind of championship-clinching game the offseason will remember.
What it means
10-5 with the Rams on the road next Sunday for the season finale. The kind of division home win where the NFC West title was clinched. The 49ers are headed to the playoffs for the second straight year. The Mariucci era's sixth year produced the team's first division title since 1997.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 23/39 | 256 | 1 | 1 | |
| ARI | |||||
| Jake Plummer | 16/26 | 109 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Kevan Barlow | 13 | 50 | 0 | 9 |
| Garrison Hearst | 11 | 38 | 1 | 10 |
| Fred Beasley | 4 | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| Jeff Garcia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| ARI | ||||
| Marcel Shipp | 20 | 84 | 0 | 40 |
| Jake Plummer | 2 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Kevin Kasper | 2 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Tai Streets | 8 | 90 | 0 | 33 |
| Cedrick Wilson | 4 | 56 | 0 | 22 |
| J.J. Stokes | 4 | 48 | 0 | 21 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Eric Johnson | 3 | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| Garrison Hearst | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Justin Swift | 2 | 9 | 0 | 7 |
| ARI | ||||
| Kevin Kasper | 4 | 33 | 2 | 15 |
| Marcel Shipp | 4 | 31 | 0 | 15 |
| Steve Bush | 4 | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| Jason McAddley | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 |
| Nate Poole | 2 | 10 | 0 | 6 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2002 W16 - 49ers at Arizona Cardinals - Game Thread
