Cardinals stay in first with win over 49ers
December 4, 2015
Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals beat Blaine Gabbert and the San Francisco 49ers 19-13 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. The Cardinals have improved to 9-2 and are in first place in NFC West while the 49ers have fallen to 3-8 and are in fourth place in the same division.
The Cardinals will play their division rivals, the St. Louis Rams, next Sunday. The Rams are 4-7 and third in the division.
The 49ers will play in Chicago next Sunday against Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears who are 5-6.
Carson Palmer threw for 271 yards, completing 24 out of 40 passes. Palmer had one rushing touchdown on the day.
Andre Ellington led Arizona in rushing. Ellington carried the ball five times for just 24 yards with his longest run of the day at 13 yards.
John Brown was Arizona’s main receiver that game and caught five passes for 99 yards. Brown’s longest reception was a 48-yard catch.
Blaine Gabbert, who has been filling in for the 49ers, had 318 yards through the air, completing 25 out of 36 passes. Gabbert had one touchdown and one interception that game.
Former Browns running back, Shaun Draughn, led San Francisco in running. Draughn ran the ball 15 times for 51 yards with his longest carry a 19-yard run.
Anquan Boldin led the 49ers in receiving that game catching eight passes for 93 yards. His longest reception of the game was an 18-yard catch.
The Cardinals still sit at the top, but they really struggled. The number one scoring offense in the league was held to just 19 points. Penalties definitely killed the 49ers in this game, as they provided over 80 yards in penalties. Blaine Gabbert is looking good and seems to be the temporary answer for San Francisco.