The 49ers (12-4) host the Arizona Cardinals (4-12) at Levi's Stadium for a 1:25 PT kickoff to close the regular season.
Brock Purdy starts his fifth game. The Cardinals are out of contention and starting fourth-string QB David Blough. The 49ers can clinch the NFC's #2 seed with a win plus a Cowboys loss.
J.J. Watt has announced this will be his final game.[1][2][3]
Regular-season finale. Brock Purdy's fifth NFL start. The Cardinals starting their fourth-string quarterback. The Sunday is the kind of closeout game that the schedule sometimes produces in early January.
J.J. Watt announced this would be his final NFL game. Watt has spent the better part of a decade as one of the league's defining defensive players and the Sunday will, by every account, be his last on the field.
The 49ers can clinch the NFC's #2 seed with a win plus a Cowboys loss. Whatever the seeding scenario, the win streak is now nine and the team is rolling. Sunday at home should be the kind of closeout where the favorites take care of business and the postseason starts.
Week 18 is the regular-season seeding finale. The 49ers can clinch the NFC's #2 seed with a Sunday win plus a Cowboys loss. The Eagles have clinched the #1. Around the AFC the Chiefs, Bills, and Bengals are competing for the top seeds. The Sunday game is the closeout for both teams and J.J. Watt's final NFL game. The 49ers are 9-game-streak hot entering the finale.
Through seventeen games the 49ers are 12-4 with a +148 point differential. The Cardinals are 4-12. David Blough starts (fourth-string). J.J. Watt has announced retirement. Brock Purdy: 4-0 as starter; 10 TDs to 2 INTs. McCaffrey: 9 straight 100+ scrimmage games. Vegas opens the 49ers as 14-point home favorites; total 44.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 12-3 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-8 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 8-8 | -- |
| New York Jets | 7-9 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 11-4 | -- |
| Baltimore Ravens | 10-6 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-8 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-9 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 8-8 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 7-9 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 4-11-1 | -- |
| Houston Texans | 2-13-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 13-3 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 10-6 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 6-10 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-4 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-8 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-11 | -- |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 13-3 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 12-4 | -- |
| New York Giants | 9-6-1 | -- |
| Washington Commanders | 7-8-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 12-4 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 8-8 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-8 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 3-13 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-8 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 7-9 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-10 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 6-10 | -- |
San Francisco 49ers Top Plays vs. Arizona Cardinals | 2022 Regular Season Week 18
Arizona Cardinals Top Plays vs. San Francisco 49ers | 2022 Regular Season Week 18
LIVE Reaction San Francisco 49ers VS Arizona Cardinals | 2022 Week 18
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers | 2022 Week 18 Game Preview
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers | 2022 Week 18 Game Highlights
49ers vs Cardinals Week 18 Highlights | 2022 NFL Season ᴴᴰReveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | A.J. Green 77 yard pass from David Blough ( Matt Prater kick failed) | 6-0 |
| 49ers | Christian McCaffrey 21 yard pass from Brock Purdy ( Robbie Gould kick) | 6-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Elijah Mitchell 5 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 6-14 |
| Cardinals | Corey Clement 1 yard rush ( Matt Prater kick) | 13-14 |
| 49ers | George Kittle 4 yard pass from Brock Purdy ( Robbie Gould kick) | 13-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Elijah Mitchell 6 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 13-28 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 27 yard field goal | 13-31 |
| 49ers | George Kittle 1 yard pass from Brock Purdy ( Robbie Gould kick) | 13-38 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes for his sixth straight game with multiple TDs and the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-13 at Levi's Stadium to clinch the NFC's #2 seed and a first-round bye. Purdy finished 15-of-20 for 178 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with George Kittle twice and Christian McCaffrey once on TD passes. Arizona's David Blough threw a 77-yard TD to A.J. Green on the second play. J.J. Watt sacked Purdy for his 50th career postseason-or-regular-season sack and took a ceremonial bow. The 49ers finished 13-4.[1][2][3]
J.J. Watt took a ceremonial bow Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. Three sacks in his final two NFL games, the 50th career sack including Sunday's takedown of Brock Purdy. The kind of finishing run that defines the Hall of Famer's career.
The 49ers beat the Cardinals 38-13. Purdy threw three more touchdowns. McCaffrey caught one. Kittle caught two. The 49ers clinched the NFC's #2 seed and home-field advantage through the divisional round.
Ten straight wins to close the regular season. 13-4. The first-round bye starts Monday. The wild-card weekend is happening without the 49ers; the divisional round is at Levi's Stadium against whoever the lowest-seeded NFC playoff team turns out to be.
49ers 38, Cardinals 13. Margin: +25. Final 2022 record: 13-4, +173 differential.
A 38-13 win over the Cardinals to close the regular season. The 49ers finish 13-4 and clinch the NFC's #2 seed.
How it unfolded
Arizona opened with a 77-yard trick-play touchdown from David Blough to A.J. Green on the second play of the game. The 49ers responded with three straight touchdown drives: McCaffrey rushing TD, Mitchell rushing TD, Kittle catch. Purdy then threw a TD to McCaffrey and another to Kittle. The 49ers led 31-13 at the half. The second half was clock-killer drives and the Watt ceremonial bow after his sack of Purdy.
The turning point
The 49ers' three straight touchdown drives after the Blough trick play. With Arizona briefly ahead 7-0, the 49ers responded with the kind of scoring run that closed the game out by halftime.
By the numbers
Purdy 15-of-20 for 178 with three TDs (his sixth straight game with multiple TD passes). Kittle two catches for 65 yards with both TDs. McCaffrey 19 touches for 138 scrimmage yards with the receiving TD. J.J. Watt got home for the sack on Purdy and added two more sacks before the season's end.
Personnel watch
Purdy in his fifth NFL start, continuing the streak that has him sitting alongside Kurt Warner in the record book. McCaffrey wrapping the regular season on his ninth straight 100-plus scrimmage game. J.J. Watt in his final NFL game, generating one sack and taking the ceremonial bow.
What it means
13-4 with the regular season ending on a 10-game win streak. The NFC's #2 seed is clinched. The first-round bye starts Monday. The divisional round is at home against whoever survives wild-card weekend.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Brock Purdy | 15/20 | 178 | 3 | 0 | |
| ARI | |||||
| David Blough | 14/18 | 180 | 1 | 2 | |
| Trace McSorley | 6/9 | 29 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Elijah Mitchell | 5 | 55 | 2 | 37 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 10 | 45 | 0 | 19 |
| Jordan Mason | 8 | 28 | 0 | 8 |
| Tyrion Davis-Price | 8 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| Brock Purdy | 4 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Deebo Samuel | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ARI | ||||
| Corey Clement | 8 | 23 | 1 | 5 |
| Greg Dortch | 2 | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| Trace McSorley | 3 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| Pharoh Cooper | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| Keaontay Ingram | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| David Blough | 2 | -2 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | 4 | 59 | 0 | 22 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 3 | 34 | 1 | 21 |
| George Kittle | 4 | 29 | 2 | 15 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 26 | 0 | 26 |
| Deebo Samuel | 2 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Jauan Jennings | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| ARI | ||||
| A.J. Green | 3 | 91 | 1 | 77 |
| Trey McBride | 3 | 41 | 0 | 23 |
| Greg Dortch | 4 | 30 | 0 | 15 |
| Corey Clement | 3 | 25 | 0 | 17 |
| Marquise Brown | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Pharoh Cooper | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Andre Baccellia | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Ty'Son Williams | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Keaontay Ingram | 2 | -2 | 0 | 1 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2022 W18 - 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals - Game Thread