49ers-Cardinals Preview

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• MNF Booth Breaks Down Cardinals' Victory

SCOUTING REPORT

Boldin, Fitzgerald will be too much for 49ers' aging cornersArizona is coming off a very gratifying division win at St. Louis, while San Francisco used a much-needed bye week to regroup and try to get everybody on the same page with new head coach Mike Singletary. The Cardinals have a three-game lead in the NFC West and they look like they have a chance to run away with this division, but as poorly as the 49ers have played they could get back in this race with a win this week. The Cardinals are winning with an exciting pass offense, an improving run game and QB Kurt Warner, who is playing like an MVP. They have a middle-of-the-road defense, but they are active and aggressive. The 49ers are struggling in almost every area, and while they have some young talent, they don't seem to have a real identity. These two teams don't play on Monday night very often, so this is a chance to show a national audience who they are.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
SFO	7-9	339	381	4-4	3-5	3-3	5-7
ARI	9-7	427	426	6-2	3-5	6-0	7-5
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

San Francisco Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Smith 60.5 2350 18 12 Hill 56.1 943 5 2

Arizona Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Warner 66.1 3753 26 14 Leinar... 66.2 435 0 3

San Francisco Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Gore 229 1120 4.9 10 Coffee 83 226 2.7 1

Arizona Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Wells 176 793 4.5 7 Highto... 143 598 4.2 8

San Francisco Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Davis 78 965 12.4 13 Crabtr... 48 625 13.0 2

Arizona Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Fitzge... 97 1092 11.3 13 Boldin 84 1024 12.2 4

Full Player Stats: San Francisco | Arizona

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SFO	311.0
	ARI	366.0
Yards Passing	SFO	211.2
	ARI	292.1
Yards Rushing	SFO	99.9
	ARI	73.6
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SFO	326.0
	ARI	331.5
Pass Yds Allowed	SFO	219.2
	ARI	221.3
Rush Yds Allowed	SFO	106.8
	ARI	110.3

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Series tied 7-7
Sep 7, 2008	SFO 13, @ARI 23
Nov 25, 2007	SFO 37, ARI 31
Sep 10, 2007	SFO 20, @ARI 17
Dec 24, 2006	SFO 20, @ARI 26
Sep 10, 2006	SFO 27, ARI 34
Dec 4, 2005	SFO 10, @ARI 17
Oct 2, 2005	SFO 14, ARI 31
Dec 12, 2004	SFO 31, ARI 28
Oct 10, 2004	SFO 31, @ARI 28
Dec 7, 2003	SFO 50, @ARI 14
Oct 26, 2003	SFO 13, ARI 16
Dec 21, 2002	SFO 17, ARI 14
Oct 27, 2002	SFO 38, @ARI 28

The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers appeared to be a couple of teams on the rise after strong finishes last season, and earned a prime-time TV matchup this year.

While the Cardinals lead the NFC West, the 49ers haven't lived up to expectations and interim coach Mike Singletary hasn't been afraid to say so.

Entering the second half of the season with a chance to win their first division title in 33 years, the Cardinals host a Monday night game against the 49ers and their outspoken new coach.

Arizona (5-3) won its last two games last season to finish 8-8 under first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt, while San Francisco (2-6) went 3-3 down the stretch en route to a 5-11 record. Both teams showed progress, and were expected to improve in 2008.

The Cardinals have stepped up to the challenge, boasting their best record at the halfway mark since going 5-3 in 1984. They have a three-game lead in the NFC West, giving them a good chance to earn their first division title since the St. Louis Cardinals won the NFC East in 1975.

"We're excited about where we are as a team," Whisenhunt said. "We realize that we have a chance. But we also understand that last year at this time there were teams that were 6-2 that didn't even sniff the playoffs. I think taking that approach is going to keep us grounded. ... We've got only half the season behind us."

San Francisco, meanwhile, is struggling again, firing Mike Nolan seven games into his fourth season. He's been replaced by Singletary on an interim basis.

Singletary has quickly put his stamp on the team, benching turnover-prone quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan in the second quarter of a 34-13 loss to Seattle on Oct. 26 and sending volatile tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room with more than 10 minutes remaining.

He then drew attention with a frank postgame press conference.

"I'd rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team," Singletary said. "It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win."

Singletary will start Shaun Hill at quarterback Monday, while Davis' status is uncertain.

The 49ers face a tall task against the high-scoring Cardinals, who lead the NFL with 29.3 points per game -- 34.0 at home. Arizona has won five straight at home and is 9-2 there since Whisenhunt took over.

Though Arizona has been highly successful offensively overall, it has had difficulty getting its ground game on track. Whisenhunt benched Edgerrin James in the Cardinals' 34-13 win over St. Louis last Sunday, replacing him with hard-running rookie Tim Hightower.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2008, Hightower rushed for 109 yards in 22 carries, including a 30-yard touchdown run. He's the first Cardinals rookie to rush for 100 yards in a game since Ronald Moore gained 135 against the New York Giants in 1993.

Kurt Warner had another strong game for Arizona, completing 23 of 34 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Warner has been held under 200 yards passing only twice, one being a 197-yard effort in a 23-13 win over San Francisco on Sept. 7 in the season opener.

O'Sullivan threw one interception and lost two fumbles in that game, and Singletary is hoping Hill can reduce the amount of mistakes on offense.

"I feel like I'm a lot further along than I was in training camp," Hill said. "Being able to sit back and watch J.T. in the offense helped as well, to kind of see some of those things in action that coach (Mike) Martz was talking about in training camp. These (last) eight weeks, I've continued to learn the offense, and I feel far more advanced in it now than I was back in August."

Hill played the second half of San Francisco's 34-13 loss to Seattle last weekend, completing 15 of 23 passes for 173 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He may not get to throw to Davis this week, though.

Singletary's confrontation with Davis started after the former first-round pick drew an unnecessary roughness penalty for slapping the head of a Seahawks defender. Singletary sent him to the bench, and later told him to go to the locker room.

San Francisco signed tight end Sean Ryan on Monday, perhaps signaling that Singletary may want to go in a different direction at the position.

Leaders talk wording of 49ers stadium measure

Santa Clara city leaders are set to discuss the final wording of the ballot measure for a proposed stadium for the San Francisco 49ers.

Wickersham: The future of the NFL

Seth Wickersham looks at the labor dispute that is hanging over the NFL and what the future may hold for the league.

Owners talk labor situation; status quo reigns

NFL owners have met for several hours to discuss the labor situation, although it appears they are no closer to reaching an agreement with the players' union for a new collective bargaining agreement.

Bears shift Marinelli to defensive coordinator

The Bears hired the 49ers' Shane Day as quarterbacks coach.

Santa Clara approves financing plan for 49ers stadium

Nearly three years after Santa Clara's hopes of landing an NFL stadium came to life, the City Council early this morning carried that dream over yet another key hurdle ? approving a long-awaited financing plan with the San Francisco 49ers.

CB Bly blows into camp

"My instincts are still very instinctive," he said. Good to know. When Walt Harris tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two weeks ago, the 49ers were in need of a top-flight cornerback.

Newsom to Santa Clara: Don't build stadium

The Santa Clara City Council may decide tonight to bless a $937 million stadium project for the San Francisco 49ers.

Sharing stadium not such bad idea

THE ONLY ABSOLUTE about a sports team seeking a new home is the presence of anger.

Singletary's 'intensity' could be rallying point for middling 49ers

The new uniforms bring to mind the San Francisco 49ers of the championship years.

Sendlein played through pain in '08

It was surprising this off-season when the Cardinals opted not to try and upgrade their center position, given the occasional struggles of starter Lyle Sendlein in 2008.

Breaston blooms in Boldin's absence

Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston, seen here in action against the 49ers last season, is taking advantage of Anquan Boldin's absence in summer workouts.

The Risk Remains

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald breaks the huddle during 11-on-11 drills Monday after coming down awkwardly on a catch earlier in the workout.

Fitzgerald OK after awkward catch

For a minute or two, it looked as if the first day of June would bring gloom to the Cardinals.

Boldin hires Condon as agent

Receiver Anquan Boldin has hired Tom Condon as his agent, replacing Drew Rosenhaus, who was fired last week.