DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › 49ers at Cardinals
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · State Farm Stadium

SFvsARI

49ers offensevsCardinals defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for 49ers, 8 for Cardinals. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

SF offenseARI offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Throw it

49ers gain +0.24 EPA per dropback (3rd). Cardinals allow +0.23 (31st).

02
Opportunity

Deep right is open

Cardinals are worst against deep right throws, allowing +0.75 EPA per attempt. 49ers send 5% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Tight ends go quiet

Cardinals give up 7.0 targets a game to tight ends (12th), against a league average of 7.6. 49ers' tight ends produce 7.3 (18th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. 49ers succeed on 53% of plays (1st) against a defense that allows 43% (13th).

Players to watch

SF 49ers

13Brock PurdyQB · 146/211 · 1748 yds · 15 TD · 4 INTEPA per dropback +0.29 · 2nd23Christian McCaffreyRB · 84 car · 389 yds · 8 TD · 34 recEPA per touch +0.11 · 7th85George KittleTE · 34 rec · 425 yds · 5 TD · 46 tgtEPA per target +0.35 · 13th5Mike EvansWR · 27 rec · 420 yds · 3 TD · 39 tgtEPA per target +1.05 · 2nd0Renardo GreenLeft Cornerback · 26 tackles · 3 INT · 5 PD3 INT · T-2nd in the NFL99DeForest BucknerRight Defensive Tackle · 31 tackles · 4 sacks · 3 PD4 sacks · T-23rd in the NFL

ARI Cardinals

15Gardner MinshewQB · 17/23 · 188 yds · 3 TD · 0 INTEPA per dropback +0.604Jeremiyah LoveRB · 76 car · 268 yds · 2 TD · 11 recEPA per touch -0.1485Trey McBrideTE · 66 rec · 544 yds · 5 TD · 86 tgtEPA per target +0.29 · 16th14Michael WilsonWR · 45 rec · 486 yds · 2 TD · 81 tgtEPA per target -0.013Budda BakerStrong Safety · 51 tackles · 3.5 sacks · 1 INT · 4 PD1 INT29Denzel BurkeRight Cornerback · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD1 INT
The series · 49ers and Cardinals since 1999, and this season's records51 meetings

The 49ers lead the series 29–22 since 1999. They have won the last 3. Sep 27, 2026, at Levi's Stadium: the 49ers won 36–30. Brock Purdy started at quarterback for the 49ers and Jacoby Brissett for the Cardinals; Kyle Shanahan and Jonathan Gannon coached.

49ers at home16–10the 49ers' record
In Arizona12–11the 49ers' record
Most points49ers 50 · Cardinals 472003 · 2015
Biggest win49ers by 36 · Cardinals by 402003 · 2015

The last 5

2026 · Wk 3ARI 30 at SF 36
2025 · Wk 11SF 41 at ARI 22
2025 · Wk 3ARI 15 at SF 16
2024 · Wk 18SF 24 at ARI 47
2024 · Wk 5ARI 24 at SF 23

2026 records

49ersCardinals
Overall6–13–5
Division3–01–2
Conference4–12–4
Other conference2–01–1
Home4–00–3
Away2–13–2
Last 5WWWWLLLWLW
StreakLost 1Won 1
Points a game28.1 – 19.921.9 – 29.8

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the 49ers' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · 49ers offense against the Cardinals defenseDepth charts
Cardinals defense · 4-3 D49ers offense · 3WR 1TE71Williams75Colby64Brendel77Puni68McKivitz85Kittle13Purdy23McCaffrey5Evans17Watkins19Samuel55Stills97Nolen51Lopez10Sweat50Gibbens1Wilson25Collins29Burke13Clark16Melton3Baker28Wingard

49ers offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBrock Purdy#13 · 146/211 · 1748 yds · 15 TD · 4 INT
  • RBChristian McCaffrey#23 · 84 car · 389 yds · 8 TD · 34 rec
  • WRMike Evans#5 · 27 rec · 420 yds · 3 TD · 39 tgt
  • WRDeebo Samuel#19 · 16 rec · 206 yds · 3 TD · 20 tgt
  • WRJordan Watkins#17 · 6 rec · 138 yds · 0 TD · 9 tgt
  • TEGeorge Kittle#85 · 34 rec · 425 yds · 5 TD · 46 tgt
  • LTTrent Williams#71
  • LGConnor Colby#75
  • CJake Brendel#64
  • RGDominick Puni#77
  • RTColton McKivitz#68

Cardinals defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEDante Stills#55 · 21 tackles · 1 sack · 2 PD
  • RDTWalter Nolen III#97 · 13 tackles · 1 sack
  • LDTRoy Lopez#51 · 23 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • LDEJosh Sweat#10 · 21 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBJack Gibbens#50 · 60 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • MLBMack Wilson Sr.#1 · 54 tackles · 1 PD
  • SLBZaven Collins#25 · 23 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • RCBDenzel Burke#29 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • LCBKei'Trel Clark#13 · 15 tackles · 3 PD
  • NBMax Melton#16 · 22 tackles · 4 PD
  • SSBudda Baker#3 · 51 tackles · 3.5 sacks · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • FSAndrew Wingard#28 · 30 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · SF offense against ARI defense
StatSF SF offFavors SF · Favors ARIARI ARI def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.18#2
+0.08#26+0.00
Success rate
53%#1
43%#1344%
Yards per play
6.5#1
5.8#245.4
Explosive play rate
13%#2
10%#199%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.24#3
+0.23#31+0.03
Sack rate
3%#1
8%#97%
Running
Run EPA per carry
+0.02#4
-0.14#6-0.08
Yards per carry
4.5#9
3.9#134.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
50%#2
41%#1741%
Red zone TD rate
87%#1
67%#2161%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
135#20
152#21147
TE yards per game
65#7
56#2055
TE targets per game
7.3#18
7.0#127.6
RB receiving yards per game
49#4
30#1332
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

49ers: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.016% of throws
+1.567% of throws
+1.415% of throws
Short
+0.2939% of throws
+0.2319% of throws
-0.0424% of throws

Cardinals: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.5316 throws
+1.078 throws
+0.7523 throws
Short
+0.3171 throws
+0.3945 throws
+0.1767 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.