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

ARIvsSF

Cardinals offensevs49ers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Cardinals, 7 for 49ers. 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

Tight ends feast

49ers give up 7.9 targets a game to tight ends (19th), against a league average of 7.6. Cardinals' tight ends produce 13.5 (2nd).

02
Opportunity

Short left is open

49ers are worst against short left throws, allowing +0.36 EPA per attempt. Cardinals send 29% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Field goals, not touchdowns

Cardinals score a touchdown on 50% of red zone trips (30th). 49ers allow 48% (7th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Cardinals succeed on 44% of plays (13th) against a defense that allows 44% (20th).

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 · Cardinals offense against the 49ers defenseDepth charts
49ers defense · 4-3 DCardinals offense · 3WR 1TE66Williams73Seumalo72Froholdt71Gaines65Wilkinson85McBride15Minshew4Love14Wilson80Fehoko82Virgil97Bosa99Buckner92Odighizuwa56White57Greenlaw54Warner53Dugger2Lenoir0Green20Stout36Sigle27Brown

Cardinals offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBGardner Minshew II#15 · 17/23 · 188 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT
  • RBJeremiyah Love#4 · 76 car · 268 yds · 2 TD · 11 rec
  • WRMichael Wilson#14 · 45 rec · 486 yds · 2 TD · 81 tgt
  • WRReggie Virgil#82 · 2 rec · 29 yds · 0 TD · 7 tgt
  • WRSimi Fehoko#80 · 1 rec · 17 yds · 0 TD · 1 tgt
  • TETrey McBride#85 · 66 rec · 544 yds · 5 TD · 86 tgt
  • LTJayden Williams#66
  • LGIsaac Seumalo#73
  • CHjalte Froholdt#72
  • RGJon Gaines II#71
  • RTElijah Wilkinson#65

49ers defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDENick Bosa#97 · 7 tackles
  • RDTDeForest Buckner#99 · 31 tackles · 4 sacks · 3 PD
  • LDTOsa Odighizuwa#92 · 13 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDEKeion White#56 · 13 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • WLBDre Greenlaw#57 · 49 tackles
  • MLBFred Warner#54 · 70 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • SLBJaden Dugger#53 · 30 tackles · 1 sack
  • RCBDeommodore Lenoir#2 · 30 tackles · 1 PD
  • LCBRenardo Green#0 · 26 tackles · 3 INT · 5 PD
  • NBUpton Stout#20 · 18 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • SSMarques Sigle#36 · 26 tackles · 1 sack
  • FSJi'Ayir Brown#27 · 44 tackles · 2 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 · ARI offense against SF defense
StatARI ARI offFavors ARI · Favors SFSF SF def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.02#19
-0.05#8+0.00
Success rate
44%#13
44%#2044%
Yards per play
4.9#27
4.8#45.4
Explosive play rate
6%#31
4%#19%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.02#21
+0.04#18+0.03
Sack rate
6%#12
6%#227%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.05#13
-0.18#2-0.08
Yards per carry
4.2#14
3.6#74.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
40%#16
38%#1141%
Red zone TD rate
50%#30
48%#761%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
123#26
132#11147
TE yards per game
91#2
44#755
TE targets per game
13.5#2
7.9#197.6
RB receiving yards per game
25#23
49#3232
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Cardinals: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.066% of throws
+0.892% of throws
-0.099% of throws
Short
-0.0229% of throws
+0.2018% of throws
+0.1237% of throws

49ers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.0514 throws
+0.637 throws
+0.0823 throws
Short
+0.3685 throws
-0.2024 throws
-0.0391 throws

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