49ers vs. Cardinals: A prospector's guide

The San Francisco 49ers square off against the Arizona Cardinals on a short week, with the two teams taking center stage on Thursday Night Football. The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. PT, and will be featured on CBS and live streamed on Twitter.

The national stage means the world gets to watch a pair of 1-3 teams that have a lot of things going wrong a quarter of the way through the season. The 49ers were not expected to be a good team, but they enter this game having lost NaVorro Bowman to a season-ending Achilles injury. The offense has struggled to generate a consistent passing game, and the middle of the defense is in rough shape. All in all, not good times for the 49ers.

The Cardinals enter the game coming off a bad home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That followed an ugly road loss to the Buffalo Bills. And now they are expected to be without quarterback Carson Palmer due to a concussion he suffered against the Rams. That means Drew Stanton will head out to try and salvage the Cardinals season. He was 4 of 11 for 37 yards and two interceptions in relief of Palmer. Stanton faced the 49ers back in 2014, and was 18 of 33 for 244 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-14 Cardinals win. Let’s hope we don’t see a repeat.

The 49ers opened as a 2.5-point underdog, but the line has quickly climbed to four points. I don’t expect much more change, but it should surprise nobody that 63 percent of wagers have been on Arizona. I am usually inclined to go against what the public is doing, but given what we’ve seen of the 49ers, I’m not inclined to bet on this game at all. The 49ers can win it, but they could also get stomped in a bad way if they come out flat.

Matchups: 49
Series Record: 49ers lead series 29-20
49ers Home Record vs. Cardinals: 49ers lead series 17-9
First Meeting: 11/18/51, Chicago Cardinals win 27-21, at SF
Last Meeting: 11/29/15, Cardinals win 19-13, at SF
Current Streak: Loss 2
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 – 3 times (Last 9/13/09 – 11/20/11)
Longest Cardinals Win Streak: 4 – 2 times (Last 10/2/05 – 12/24/06)
Most 49ers Points: 56 (10/18/92): 49ers win 56-17, at SF
Most Cardinals Points: 34 – 2 times, (Last 9/10/06): Cardinals win 34-27, at Arz.
49ers Shutouts: None
Cardinals Shutouts: None

DL ARIK ARMSTEAD

• Registered 3 tackles and the first sack of his NFL career at Arz. (9/27/15), bringing down Cardinals QB Carson Palmer for a 4-yd. loss.

S ANTOINE BETHEA

• As a member of the Indianapolis Colts, recorded 1 INT and 1 FR at Arz. on 9/27/13. It marked the 8th INT and 2nd FR of his career.

LB NaVORRO BOWMAN

• In his first career start, led the team with a season-high 15 tackles vs. Arz. (1/2/11).
• Registered a team-high 10 tackles and recovered a fumble vs. Arz. (10/13/13). The takeaway turned into points when K Phil Dawson made a 44-yd. FG four plays later.
• Intercepted a pass by Cardinals QB Carson Palmer and added 1.0 sack, 1 FF and 1 FR at Arz. (12/29/13).

LB AHMAD BROOKS

• Set single-game career highs with 3.0 sacks of QB Kurt Warner and 2 FFs vs. Arz. (12/14/09).
• Brought down QB Richard Bartel on the final series of the game vs. Arz. (1/2/11) for his 5th sack of the season. Also registered his first career INT, picking off Cardinals QB John Skelton and returning it 32 yards to the Cardinals 8-yd. line, setting up a TD.

K PHIL DAWSON

• Successfully converted all 3 FG attempts and all 5 XP attempts in a 44-6 win vs. Arz. (11/16/03), as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
• Made 3 of 4 FG attempts at Arz. (12/29/13), including the game-winning FG as time expired.

QB BLAINE GABBERT

• Completed 25 of 36 attempts for 318 yards, 1 TD and a passer rating of 94.4 vs. Arz. (11/29/15), marking his second career 300-yd. game [303 yards at GB (10/28/12)].

LB AARON LYNCH

• Sacked Cardinals QB Ryan Lindley for a 9-yd. loss vs. Arz. (12/28/14). It marked the 6th sack of his rookie season.

TE VANCE McDONALD

• Registered a career-high 6 receptions for 71 yards and 1 TD vs. Arz. (11/29/15).

NT MIKE PURCELL

• Notched his first career start and first career sack vs. Arz. (11/29/15), bringing down Cardinals QB Carson Palmer for a 4-yd. loss.

S ERIC REID

• Intercepted a pass by Cardinals QB Carson Palmer and returned it 53 yards to set up a 35-yd. FG by K Phil Dawson vs. Arz. (10/13/13). Also, recovered a fumble by Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald.