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Championship!!!!
REGULAR SEASON GAME #13
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-11) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-8)
Sunday, December 12, 2004
2:15 (MST) – Sun Devil Stadium
THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona is coming off a 26-12 loss to the Lions last Sunday at Ford Field that dropped the team to 4-8 and seriously hampered its playoff hopes. The Niners enter the game with a 1-11 mark following their 16-6 loss to the Rams last week in St. Louis. San Francisco’s lone win of 2004 came at Arizona’s expense when they posted a 31-28 overtime victory on 10/10 at Monster Park. In that game, the Niners erased a 16-point fourth quarter deficit and won with a FG on the first possession of OT.
THE SERIES
The 49ers and Cardinals have met 26 times with the 49ers holding a 16-10 advantage over the Cards in the series. The Cards joined the NFC West from the NFC East prior to the 2002 season and have met twice a year since. They split their ’03 meetings: on 12/7 San Francisco earned a 50-14 victory over the Cards. Earlier in the year, Arizona defeated the 49ers 16-13 in overtime.
Date Site Result
Oct., 10, 2004 @ San Francisco L, 31-28 (OT)
Dec. 7, 2003 @ San Francisco L, 50-14
Oct. 26, 2003 @ Arizona W, 16-13 (OT)
Dec. 21, 2003 @ Arizona L, 17-14
Oct. 27, 2003 @ San Francisco L, 38-28
Oct. 1, 2000 @ San Francisco L, 27-20
Sept. 27, 1999 @ Arizona L, 24-10
Oct. 24, 1993 @ San Francisco L, 28-14
Nov. 1, 1992 @ Arizona W, 24-14
Nov. 17, 1991 @ San Francisco L, 14-10
Nov. 6, 1988 @ Arizona W, 24-23
Oct. 18, 1987 @ San Francisco L, 34-28
Nov. 9, 1986 @ San Francisco L, 43-17
Sept. 18, 1983 @ St. Louis L, 42-27
Nov. 21, 1982 @ St. Louis L, 31-20
Sept. 14, 1980 @ San Francisco L, 24-21 (OT)
Dec. 2, 1979 @ St. Louis W, 13-10
Nov. 12, 1978 @ San Francisco W, 16-10
Oct. 31, 1976 @ St. Louis W, 23-20 (OT)
Oct. 6, 1974 @ San Francisco W, 34-9
Oct. 24, 1971 @ St. Louis L, 26-14
Sept. 22, 1968 @ San Francisco L, 35-17
Sept. 27, 1964 @ San Francisco W, 23-13
Nov. 25, 1962 @ St. Louis L, 24-17
Sept. 29, 1957 @ San Francisco W, 20-10
Nov. 18, 1951 @ San Francisco W, 27-21
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Dan Miller
Color Analyst: Dave Wannstedt
CARDINALS RADIO NETWORK
Flagship: 1060 KDUS (AM)
KSLX 100.7 (FM)
Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
Color Analyst: John Mistler
Sideline: Mike Jurecki
CARDINALS SPANISH RADIO
Flagship: KMIA (710 AM)
Play-by-Play: Gabriel Trujillo
Color Analyst: Luis Zendejas
Halftime/Analyst: Felipe Coral
CARDINALS CATEGORY NINERS
4-8 Record 1-11
192 Points Scored 198
253 Points Allowed 336
21 Touchdowns Scored 21
10 Rushing TDs 8
9 Passing TDs 10
2 Return TDs 3
26 Touchdowns Allowed 41
8 Rushing TDs Allowed 15
14 Passing TDs Allowed 22
4 Return TDs Allowed 4
32/268 Sacked/Yards Lost 46/281
25/9 Fumbles/Lost 27/15
14 Had Intercepted 14
15/18 Field Goals Made/Attempted 17/20
269.6 Total Yards Per Game 289.3
337.8 Opp. Total Yards Per Game 327.0
104.8 Rushing Yards Per Game 82.8
139.8 Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game 116.0
164.8 Passing Yards Per Game 206.6
198.0 Opp. Passing Yards Per Game 211.0
-1 Turnover Ratio -15
30:27 Average Time of Possession 29:19
29/23/27 NFL Rank-Total Offense/Run/Pass 25/31/19
20/30/10 NFL Rank-Total Defense/Run/Pass 15/16/17
Vs. St. Louis Next Week’s Game Vs. Washington
CARDINALS & NINERS – TALE OF THE TAPE
NFL SACK LEADERS OVER LAST TWO SEASONS
With 11.0 sacks this year and 11.5 last season for Denver, Berry has 22.5 totals sacks of the last two campaigns. Only Tampa’s Simeon Rice has more over that span with 23.0.
Player/Team ’03 ’04 Total
1. Simeon Rice, TB 15.0 8.0 23.0
2. Bertrand Berry, Den/AZ. 11.5 11.0 22.5
Michael Strahan, NYG 18.5 4.0 22.5
4. Terrell Suggs, Balt. 12.0 9.5 21.5
5. Dwight Freeney, Ind. 11.0 10.0 21.0
TOP ROOKIE RECEIVERS
The Cardinals feature the first receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft (Larry Fitzgerald) while the Niners have the last of seven receivers taken in the first round (Rashaun Woods).
RECEIVERS TAKEN IN FIRST ROUND
Player (College) Team Overall Rec. Yds. TD
Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh) Arizona 3rd 43 590 4
Roy Williams (Texas) Detroit 7th 39 605 5
Reggie Williams (Washington) Jacksonville 9th 22 195 0
Lee Evans (Wisconsin) Buffalo 13th 28 554 5
Michael Clayton (LSU) Tampa Bay 15th 61 843 3
Michael Jenkins (Ohio State) Atlanta 29th 2 69 0
Rashaun Woods (Oklahoma St.) San Francisco 31st 3 67 1
Fitzgerald has started every game for the Cardinals and leads the team with 43 catches for 590 yards. The reception total ranks #2 among NFL rookies while the yardage total is fourth.
ROOKIE RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Player Team Rec. Yds. Avg. TD
Michael Clayton Tampa Bay 61 843 13.8 3
Larry Fitzgerald Arizona 43 590 13.7 4
Roy Williams Detroit 39 605 15.5 5
Keary Colbert Carolina 38 622 16.4 4
Lee Evans Buffalo 28 554 19.1 5
Darius Watts Denver 27 326 12.1 1
The Last Time:
49ers 31, CARDINALS 28 (OT)
October 10, 2004 - Monster Park - (62,836)
For three-and-a-half quarters, all signs pointed to the Cardinals notching their second straight victory of the year and ending a 15-game road losing streak that stretched back two years. A pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Arizona a 16-point lead with just over eight minutes left. The Niners would not only have to score two TDs against a Cardinal defense that hadn’t surrendered one in over 13 quarters but also make a pair of 2-point conversions. They were able to halve the lead with 4:35 to play when QB Tim Rattay capped an 80-yard drive with a TD pass to TE Eric Johnson on 4th-n-goal from the 6 and followed it with a Rattay run for the 2-point conversion. After a three-n-out by the Cards, the Niners took over at their own 28 with 2:48 to go and moved downfield quickly before capping the drive with a diving 23-yard TD catch by Brandon Lloyd, who then tied the game on another pass from Rattay on the 2-point try. The 49ers won the toss in OT and elected to receive. They appeared headed for a 3-n-out after three straight incompletions but a roughing the passer call on Darnell Dockett kept the drive alive and allowed them to move into position for the game-winning FG by Todd Peterson. The Cardinals never trailed in the game until the overtime FG. They led 14-6 at halftime thanks to a pair of second quarter Josh McCown TD passes, a 16-yarder to TE Freddie Jones and a 2-yarder to RB Troy Hambrick. Early in the third, San Fran pulled to within 14-12 on a 71-yard punt return by Arnaz Battle but were unsuccessful on the 2-point try. It looked as if San Fran was poised to pull ahead late in the 3rd when they reached the AZ15 but SS Adrian Wilson ended the threat when he recovered a fumble by RB Jamal Robertson. Seven plays later, Emmitt Smith scored on a 10-yard run that made it 21-12. After a 3-n-out by San Fran, McCown capped the ensuing drive with his 3rd TD pass of the day, a 24-yarder to rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald for a 28-12 lead with 8:19 left that proved to be not enough.
CHANGE AT QB
Rookie QB John Navarre played the entire game last week at Detroit despite suffering on injured ring finger on his
right/throwing hand in the first quarter. On Monday, however, it was learned that he had a fracture of the finger
that will prevent him from playing this Sunday. As a result, Josh McCown returns to the starting QB spot. McCown started the season’s first nine games before Shaun King started at Carolina (11/21) and vs. the Jets (11/28). Navarre then replaced King for last week’s game at Detroit. “It’s disappointing but it’s part of the game,” said Navarre. “We’ll see how things go and I’ll try to get back as soon as possible.”
“I’ve prepared each week as if I was starting,” said McCown. “As a back-up you try to maintain focus in case you wind up playing. I won’t have to change my focus. I’ll be ready Sunday.”
RUNNING ROOM FOR CROOM
RB Larry Croom started last week’s game at Detroit in place of injured running back Emmitt Smith. He became the fourth offensive rookie in the starting lineup joining WR Larry Fitzgerald, C Alex Stepanovich, and QB John Navarre. A rookie free agent out of UNLV, Croom had 18 carries for 49 yards with a long of 20 against the Lions. Croom was Arizona’s leading rusher in the 2004 preseason with 103 yards on 30 carries (3.4 average) with a touchdown. Before Croom, the last rookie to start at running back for the Cards was also a free agent. Damien Anderson started in a 16-13 win at Carolina on 10/6/02. As a senior at UNLV, he rushed for 932 yards on 208 carries and three touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention All-Mountain West status. He began his college career at Arizona before transferring to UNLV. Croom played in high school at Long Beach (CA) Poly, a school that has the distinction of producing a league-high six current NFL players, including injured 49er Brandon Whiting. The other four: Oakland’s Marques Anderson, NE’s Willie McGinest, KC’s Samie Parker and NYG’s Omar Stoutmire.
TOE SIDELINES EMMITT
After starting the first 11 games of 2004 at running back, Emmitt Smith missed last week’s contest at Detroit due to a sprained toe suffered vs. the Jets on 11/28. The injury interrupts what has been an excellent year for the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. In 2004, Smith leads the Cardinals in rushing with 679 yards on 184 carries and eight touchdowns. Smith’s two rushing touchdowns against the Giants last month marked his first multiple touchdown game with the Cardinals and his 36th career multiple touchdown game. With eight rushing touchdowns in ’04 he has quadrupled his ‘02 total (2). At the time of his injury, Emmitt was on pace to finish with 1,053 yards which would have been the 12th of his career. Smith has topped 100 rushing yards twice (both wins). When he went over 100 rushing yards vs. Seattle, it was his 78th career 100-yard game and gave him sole possession of the NFL lead in that category (Walter Payton, 77). With 67 rushing yards in the game against the Giants on 11/14, Smith became the first person to NFL history to surpass the 18,000 career rushing yards milestone. His best game came vs. New Orleans (10/3) when he rushed 21 times for 127 yards and a 29-yard TD that put the Cards up 27-10 with five minutes to play in the fourth. On that same TD drive he also had an 18-yard reception and a key first down that moved the ball to the New Orleans 36. The 29-yard TD run was his longest run as a Cardinal. Smith also pulled off a career first when he completed his first career passing attempt for a 21-yard TD to fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The 127-yard rushing game vs. the Saints was his first 100-yard game as a Cardinal and his first since Thanksgiving of 2002 (11/28/02 Dallas vs. Washington when he was 23-144). The last player to top 100 rushing yards after his 35th birthday was Marcus Allen for Kansas City at Oakland on 12/3/95 (21-124). Emmitt topped 100 rushing yards for the second time in ‘04 with a 26-106-1 TD performance vs. Seattle on 10/24. He added another 30 yards on four catches. The TD was his fifth of the year and a pivotal play in the game. With the Cardinals clinging to a 1-point lead with two minutes to play, he raced 23 yards on a 3rd-n-nine play, putting the Arizona up by 8. In week one at St. Louis, the future Hall of Famer opened the 15th season of his NFL career/second with the Cardinals rushing 16 times for 87 yards (5.4 average) against the Rams with an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter. In week 2 vs. NE, he ran for just 31 yards on 13 carries but scored again on 1-yard TD jaunt marking the first time since December of 2001 that he had rushing TDs on consecutive weeks.
SMITH ON THE NFL’S ALL-TIME LISTS
Most Rushing Yards, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,087
2. Walter Payton 16,726
3. Barry Sanders 15,269
Most Rushing TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 163
2. Marcus Allen 123
3. Walter Payton 110
Most 100-Yard Games, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 78
2. Walter Payton 77
3. Barry Sanders 76
4. Eric Dickerson 64
ODDS & ENDS
• CB David Macklin recorded his third INT of the season last week at Detroit. The total matched his career-high set in 2001 with Indianapolis.
• Last week vs. the Lions, the Cardinals scored on their first possession of the game for the first time in 2004.
• Last week, Arizona QB John Navarre and Cleveland’s Luke McCown (brother of Cards QB Josh) became the fifth and sixth rookies to make a start at QB in the league this season. They joined Pittsburgh’s Ben
Roethlisberger, Chicago’s Craig Krenzel, the Giants’ Eli Manning, and Dallas’ Drew Henson.
• The Cardinals could become the first team with consecutive 50-catch seasons by rookie wide receivers since the 1995-96 New York Jets (Wayne Chrebet, 66, 1995; Keyshawn Johnson, 63, 1996). Rookie Larry Fitzgerald now has 43 catches. Anquan Boldin set the NFL rookie record in 2003, posting 101 receptions.
• With 36 catches (307 yards) second-year WR Bryant Johnson has surpassed his rookie total of 35 (438 yards).
• Neil Rackers needs two more field goals to tie his career high of 17 set in 2001 with the Bengals (17-28).
• Last Sunday was Bertrand Berry’s 100th career game in the NFL.
CARDS-NINERS CONNECTIONS
Arizona Head Coach Dennis Green was the wide receivers/special teams coach for the Niners in 1979 and returned to coach the wide receivers during the 1986-88 seasons. Green was also the running backs coach for Stanford during the 1977-78 seasons and was the head coach for the Cardinal during the 1989-91 seasons.
Arizona tight ends coach Mike Wilson played wide receiver for the Niners for 10 seasons (1981-90) where Green was his position coach. He was a member of four Super Bowl championship teams (following the 1981, ’84, ’88, ’89 seasons) and caught 182 passes for 2,470 yards and 17 touchdowns. Wilson then went on to coach wide receivers/tight ends at Stanford during the 1992-94 seasons. Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Gerald Hayes played on the same team at Pittsburgh as San Francisco cornerback Shawntae Spencer & punter Andy Lee. Fitzgerald (3rd overall), Spencer (58th overall), and Lee (188th overall) were all drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft. Arizona defensive tackle Ross Kolodziej was on the 49ers roster for five games in 2002 (four games inactive, one DNP) and four games in 2003 (all four inactive). San Francisco tight ends coach Dan Cozzetto was Arizona State’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach during the 1993-99 seasons. That team featured former Cardinal quarterback Jake Plummer at quarterback and former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman at safety.
San Francisco special teams coach Larry Mac Duff twice was the defensive coordinator for the University of Arizona (1987-1996, 2001-2002). During Mac Duff’s first stop in Tucson, his defense led the nation in scoring defense in 1992. San Francisco quarterbacks coach Rich Olson was the offensive coordinator for Arizona for two seasons 2001-02. His offense only had 27 turnovers, a team low in a 16-game season. The offense’s 5.13-yard average per play was the Cardinals best since 1993. San Francisco special teams quality control coach Jeff Rodgers was a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona during the 2001-02 seasons. San Francisco secondary coach Al Simmons participated in the NFL’s Minority Fellowship Coaching program spending a the 1996 training camp with the Cardinals in Flagstaff. San Francisco offensive quality control coach Scott Swartz was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for Northern Arizona University the past two seasons (2002-03). San Francisco quarterback Tim Rattay attended high school at Phoenix Christian High School where he set state season records for passing yards, completions, and touchdowns. His dad, Jim Rattay, is currently the coach at Phoenix Christian High School. San Francisco linebacker Derek Smith is a former Arizona State Sun Devil (1995-1996) and started every game his junior and senior seasons. Lining up alongside former Arizona Cardinal safety Pat Tillman at ASU, Smith earned honorable mention All pac-10 honors as a senior in 1996. San Fran offensive tackle Kyle Kosier is a Peoria, AZ native who played college ball at Arizona State after being named all state at Cactus High. San Francisco tight end/long snapper Brian Jennings is a Mesa, AZ native where he was prepped at Red Mountain High School lettering in football, basketball, and track. He played his college ball at Arizona State appearing in 32 games with four receptions and one touchdown in three years of action. Niners tight end Steve Bush played with the Cardinals from 2001-03 with 38 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns in 41 games (23 starts). Bush played his college football at Arizona State with career numbers of 65 receptions for 737 yards and seven touchdowns. He was part of the 1997 Pac-10 Championship team with former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will host back-to-back home games for the first/only time in the 2004 regular season and will play their second straight divisional opponent when the St. Louis Rams come to town. The Rams are on the road this week, facing the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Niners return home for the first of two straight games at Monster Park. Next week it’s the Washington Redskins and the week after it’ll be Buffalo.
http://azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=2466
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-11) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-8)
Sunday, December 12, 2004
2:15 (MST) – Sun Devil Stadium
THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona is coming off a 26-12 loss to the Lions last Sunday at Ford Field that dropped the team to 4-8 and seriously hampered its playoff hopes. The Niners enter the game with a 1-11 mark following their 16-6 loss to the Rams last week in St. Louis. San Francisco’s lone win of 2004 came at Arizona’s expense when they posted a 31-28 overtime victory on 10/10 at Monster Park. In that game, the Niners erased a 16-point fourth quarter deficit and won with a FG on the first possession of OT.
THE SERIES
The 49ers and Cardinals have met 26 times with the 49ers holding a 16-10 advantage over the Cards in the series. The Cards joined the NFC West from the NFC East prior to the 2002 season and have met twice a year since. They split their ’03 meetings: on 12/7 San Francisco earned a 50-14 victory over the Cards. Earlier in the year, Arizona defeated the 49ers 16-13 in overtime.
Date Site Result
Oct., 10, 2004 @ San Francisco L, 31-28 (OT)
Dec. 7, 2003 @ San Francisco L, 50-14
Oct. 26, 2003 @ Arizona W, 16-13 (OT)
Dec. 21, 2003 @ Arizona L, 17-14
Oct. 27, 2003 @ San Francisco L, 38-28
Oct. 1, 2000 @ San Francisco L, 27-20
Sept. 27, 1999 @ Arizona L, 24-10
Oct. 24, 1993 @ San Francisco L, 28-14
Nov. 1, 1992 @ Arizona W, 24-14
Nov. 17, 1991 @ San Francisco L, 14-10
Nov. 6, 1988 @ Arizona W, 24-23
Oct. 18, 1987 @ San Francisco L, 34-28
Nov. 9, 1986 @ San Francisco L, 43-17
Sept. 18, 1983 @ St. Louis L, 42-27
Nov. 21, 1982 @ St. Louis L, 31-20
Sept. 14, 1980 @ San Francisco L, 24-21 (OT)
Dec. 2, 1979 @ St. Louis W, 13-10
Nov. 12, 1978 @ San Francisco W, 16-10
Oct. 31, 1976 @ St. Louis W, 23-20 (OT)
Oct. 6, 1974 @ San Francisco W, 34-9
Oct. 24, 1971 @ St. Louis L, 26-14
Sept. 22, 1968 @ San Francisco L, 35-17
Sept. 27, 1964 @ San Francisco W, 23-13
Nov. 25, 1962 @ St. Louis L, 24-17
Sept. 29, 1957 @ San Francisco W, 20-10
Nov. 18, 1951 @ San Francisco W, 27-21
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Dan Miller
Color Analyst: Dave Wannstedt
CARDINALS RADIO NETWORK
Flagship: 1060 KDUS (AM)
KSLX 100.7 (FM)
Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
Color Analyst: John Mistler
Sideline: Mike Jurecki
CARDINALS SPANISH RADIO
Flagship: KMIA (710 AM)
Play-by-Play: Gabriel Trujillo
Color Analyst: Luis Zendejas
Halftime/Analyst: Felipe Coral
CARDINALS CATEGORY NINERS
4-8 Record 1-11
192 Points Scored 198
253 Points Allowed 336
21 Touchdowns Scored 21
10 Rushing TDs 8
9 Passing TDs 10
2 Return TDs 3
26 Touchdowns Allowed 41
8 Rushing TDs Allowed 15
14 Passing TDs Allowed 22
4 Return TDs Allowed 4
32/268 Sacked/Yards Lost 46/281
25/9 Fumbles/Lost 27/15
14 Had Intercepted 14
15/18 Field Goals Made/Attempted 17/20
269.6 Total Yards Per Game 289.3
337.8 Opp. Total Yards Per Game 327.0
104.8 Rushing Yards Per Game 82.8
139.8 Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game 116.0
164.8 Passing Yards Per Game 206.6
198.0 Opp. Passing Yards Per Game 211.0
-1 Turnover Ratio -15
30:27 Average Time of Possession 29:19
29/23/27 NFL Rank-Total Offense/Run/Pass 25/31/19
20/30/10 NFL Rank-Total Defense/Run/Pass 15/16/17
Vs. St. Louis Next Week’s Game Vs. Washington
CARDINALS & NINERS – TALE OF THE TAPE
NFL SACK LEADERS OVER LAST TWO SEASONS
With 11.0 sacks this year and 11.5 last season for Denver, Berry has 22.5 totals sacks of the last two campaigns. Only Tampa’s Simeon Rice has more over that span with 23.0.
Player/Team ’03 ’04 Total
1. Simeon Rice, TB 15.0 8.0 23.0
2. Bertrand Berry, Den/AZ. 11.5 11.0 22.5
Michael Strahan, NYG 18.5 4.0 22.5
4. Terrell Suggs, Balt. 12.0 9.5 21.5
5. Dwight Freeney, Ind. 11.0 10.0 21.0
TOP ROOKIE RECEIVERS
The Cardinals feature the first receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft (Larry Fitzgerald) while the Niners have the last of seven receivers taken in the first round (Rashaun Woods).
RECEIVERS TAKEN IN FIRST ROUND
Player (College) Team Overall Rec. Yds. TD
Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh) Arizona 3rd 43 590 4
Roy Williams (Texas) Detroit 7th 39 605 5
Reggie Williams (Washington) Jacksonville 9th 22 195 0
Lee Evans (Wisconsin) Buffalo 13th 28 554 5
Michael Clayton (LSU) Tampa Bay 15th 61 843 3
Michael Jenkins (Ohio State) Atlanta 29th 2 69 0
Rashaun Woods (Oklahoma St.) San Francisco 31st 3 67 1
Fitzgerald has started every game for the Cardinals and leads the team with 43 catches for 590 yards. The reception total ranks #2 among NFL rookies while the yardage total is fourth.
ROOKIE RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Player Team Rec. Yds. Avg. TD
Michael Clayton Tampa Bay 61 843 13.8 3
Larry Fitzgerald Arizona 43 590 13.7 4
Roy Williams Detroit 39 605 15.5 5
Keary Colbert Carolina 38 622 16.4 4
Lee Evans Buffalo 28 554 19.1 5
Darius Watts Denver 27 326 12.1 1
The Last Time:
49ers 31, CARDINALS 28 (OT)
October 10, 2004 - Monster Park - (62,836)
For three-and-a-half quarters, all signs pointed to the Cardinals notching their second straight victory of the year and ending a 15-game road losing streak that stretched back two years. A pair of fourth quarter touchdowns gave Arizona a 16-point lead with just over eight minutes left. The Niners would not only have to score two TDs against a Cardinal defense that hadn’t surrendered one in over 13 quarters but also make a pair of 2-point conversions. They were able to halve the lead with 4:35 to play when QB Tim Rattay capped an 80-yard drive with a TD pass to TE Eric Johnson on 4th-n-goal from the 6 and followed it with a Rattay run for the 2-point conversion. After a three-n-out by the Cards, the Niners took over at their own 28 with 2:48 to go and moved downfield quickly before capping the drive with a diving 23-yard TD catch by Brandon Lloyd, who then tied the game on another pass from Rattay on the 2-point try. The 49ers won the toss in OT and elected to receive. They appeared headed for a 3-n-out after three straight incompletions but a roughing the passer call on Darnell Dockett kept the drive alive and allowed them to move into position for the game-winning FG by Todd Peterson. The Cardinals never trailed in the game until the overtime FG. They led 14-6 at halftime thanks to a pair of second quarter Josh McCown TD passes, a 16-yarder to TE Freddie Jones and a 2-yarder to RB Troy Hambrick. Early in the third, San Fran pulled to within 14-12 on a 71-yard punt return by Arnaz Battle but were unsuccessful on the 2-point try. It looked as if San Fran was poised to pull ahead late in the 3rd when they reached the AZ15 but SS Adrian Wilson ended the threat when he recovered a fumble by RB Jamal Robertson. Seven plays later, Emmitt Smith scored on a 10-yard run that made it 21-12. After a 3-n-out by San Fran, McCown capped the ensuing drive with his 3rd TD pass of the day, a 24-yarder to rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald for a 28-12 lead with 8:19 left that proved to be not enough.
CHANGE AT QB
Rookie QB John Navarre played the entire game last week at Detroit despite suffering on injured ring finger on his
right/throwing hand in the first quarter. On Monday, however, it was learned that he had a fracture of the finger
that will prevent him from playing this Sunday. As a result, Josh McCown returns to the starting QB spot. McCown started the season’s first nine games before Shaun King started at Carolina (11/21) and vs. the Jets (11/28). Navarre then replaced King for last week’s game at Detroit. “It’s disappointing but it’s part of the game,” said Navarre. “We’ll see how things go and I’ll try to get back as soon as possible.”
“I’ve prepared each week as if I was starting,” said McCown. “As a back-up you try to maintain focus in case you wind up playing. I won’t have to change my focus. I’ll be ready Sunday.”
RUNNING ROOM FOR CROOM
RB Larry Croom started last week’s game at Detroit in place of injured running back Emmitt Smith. He became the fourth offensive rookie in the starting lineup joining WR Larry Fitzgerald, C Alex Stepanovich, and QB John Navarre. A rookie free agent out of UNLV, Croom had 18 carries for 49 yards with a long of 20 against the Lions. Croom was Arizona’s leading rusher in the 2004 preseason with 103 yards on 30 carries (3.4 average) with a touchdown. Before Croom, the last rookie to start at running back for the Cards was also a free agent. Damien Anderson started in a 16-13 win at Carolina on 10/6/02. As a senior at UNLV, he rushed for 932 yards on 208 carries and three touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention All-Mountain West status. He began his college career at Arizona before transferring to UNLV. Croom played in high school at Long Beach (CA) Poly, a school that has the distinction of producing a league-high six current NFL players, including injured 49er Brandon Whiting. The other four: Oakland’s Marques Anderson, NE’s Willie McGinest, KC’s Samie Parker and NYG’s Omar Stoutmire.
TOE SIDELINES EMMITT
After starting the first 11 games of 2004 at running back, Emmitt Smith missed last week’s contest at Detroit due to a sprained toe suffered vs. the Jets on 11/28. The injury interrupts what has been an excellent year for the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. In 2004, Smith leads the Cardinals in rushing with 679 yards on 184 carries and eight touchdowns. Smith’s two rushing touchdowns against the Giants last month marked his first multiple touchdown game with the Cardinals and his 36th career multiple touchdown game. With eight rushing touchdowns in ’04 he has quadrupled his ‘02 total (2). At the time of his injury, Emmitt was on pace to finish with 1,053 yards which would have been the 12th of his career. Smith has topped 100 rushing yards twice (both wins). When he went over 100 rushing yards vs. Seattle, it was his 78th career 100-yard game and gave him sole possession of the NFL lead in that category (Walter Payton, 77). With 67 rushing yards in the game against the Giants on 11/14, Smith became the first person to NFL history to surpass the 18,000 career rushing yards milestone. His best game came vs. New Orleans (10/3) when he rushed 21 times for 127 yards and a 29-yard TD that put the Cards up 27-10 with five minutes to play in the fourth. On that same TD drive he also had an 18-yard reception and a key first down that moved the ball to the New Orleans 36. The 29-yard TD run was his longest run as a Cardinal. Smith also pulled off a career first when he completed his first career passing attempt for a 21-yard TD to fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The 127-yard rushing game vs. the Saints was his first 100-yard game as a Cardinal and his first since Thanksgiving of 2002 (11/28/02 Dallas vs. Washington when he was 23-144). The last player to top 100 rushing yards after his 35th birthday was Marcus Allen for Kansas City at Oakland on 12/3/95 (21-124). Emmitt topped 100 rushing yards for the second time in ‘04 with a 26-106-1 TD performance vs. Seattle on 10/24. He added another 30 yards on four catches. The TD was his fifth of the year and a pivotal play in the game. With the Cardinals clinging to a 1-point lead with two minutes to play, he raced 23 yards on a 3rd-n-nine play, putting the Arizona up by 8. In week one at St. Louis, the future Hall of Famer opened the 15th season of his NFL career/second with the Cardinals rushing 16 times for 87 yards (5.4 average) against the Rams with an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter. In week 2 vs. NE, he ran for just 31 yards on 13 carries but scored again on 1-yard TD jaunt marking the first time since December of 2001 that he had rushing TDs on consecutive weeks.
SMITH ON THE NFL’S ALL-TIME LISTS
Most Rushing Yards, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,087
2. Walter Payton 16,726
3. Barry Sanders 15,269
Most Rushing TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 163
2. Marcus Allen 123
3. Walter Payton 110
Most 100-Yard Games, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 78
2. Walter Payton 77
3. Barry Sanders 76
4. Eric Dickerson 64
ODDS & ENDS
• CB David Macklin recorded his third INT of the season last week at Detroit. The total matched his career-high set in 2001 with Indianapolis.
• Last week vs. the Lions, the Cardinals scored on their first possession of the game for the first time in 2004.
• Last week, Arizona QB John Navarre and Cleveland’s Luke McCown (brother of Cards QB Josh) became the fifth and sixth rookies to make a start at QB in the league this season. They joined Pittsburgh’s Ben
Roethlisberger, Chicago’s Craig Krenzel, the Giants’ Eli Manning, and Dallas’ Drew Henson.
• The Cardinals could become the first team with consecutive 50-catch seasons by rookie wide receivers since the 1995-96 New York Jets (Wayne Chrebet, 66, 1995; Keyshawn Johnson, 63, 1996). Rookie Larry Fitzgerald now has 43 catches. Anquan Boldin set the NFL rookie record in 2003, posting 101 receptions.
• With 36 catches (307 yards) second-year WR Bryant Johnson has surpassed his rookie total of 35 (438 yards).
• Neil Rackers needs two more field goals to tie his career high of 17 set in 2001 with the Bengals (17-28).
• Last Sunday was Bertrand Berry’s 100th career game in the NFL.
CARDS-NINERS CONNECTIONS
Arizona Head Coach Dennis Green was the wide receivers/special teams coach for the Niners in 1979 and returned to coach the wide receivers during the 1986-88 seasons. Green was also the running backs coach for Stanford during the 1977-78 seasons and was the head coach for the Cardinal during the 1989-91 seasons.
Arizona tight ends coach Mike Wilson played wide receiver for the Niners for 10 seasons (1981-90) where Green was his position coach. He was a member of four Super Bowl championship teams (following the 1981, ’84, ’88, ’89 seasons) and caught 182 passes for 2,470 yards and 17 touchdowns. Wilson then went on to coach wide receivers/tight ends at Stanford during the 1992-94 seasons. Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Gerald Hayes played on the same team at Pittsburgh as San Francisco cornerback Shawntae Spencer & punter Andy Lee. Fitzgerald (3rd overall), Spencer (58th overall), and Lee (188th overall) were all drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft. Arizona defensive tackle Ross Kolodziej was on the 49ers roster for five games in 2002 (four games inactive, one DNP) and four games in 2003 (all four inactive). San Francisco tight ends coach Dan Cozzetto was Arizona State’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach during the 1993-99 seasons. That team featured former Cardinal quarterback Jake Plummer at quarterback and former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman at safety.
San Francisco special teams coach Larry Mac Duff twice was the defensive coordinator for the University of Arizona (1987-1996, 2001-2002). During Mac Duff’s first stop in Tucson, his defense led the nation in scoring defense in 1992. San Francisco quarterbacks coach Rich Olson was the offensive coordinator for Arizona for two seasons 2001-02. His offense only had 27 turnovers, a team low in a 16-game season. The offense’s 5.13-yard average per play was the Cardinals best since 1993. San Francisco special teams quality control coach Jeff Rodgers was a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona during the 2001-02 seasons. San Francisco secondary coach Al Simmons participated in the NFL’s Minority Fellowship Coaching program spending a the 1996 training camp with the Cardinals in Flagstaff. San Francisco offensive quality control coach Scott Swartz was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for Northern Arizona University the past two seasons (2002-03). San Francisco quarterback Tim Rattay attended high school at Phoenix Christian High School where he set state season records for passing yards, completions, and touchdowns. His dad, Jim Rattay, is currently the coach at Phoenix Christian High School. San Francisco linebacker Derek Smith is a former Arizona State Sun Devil (1995-1996) and started every game his junior and senior seasons. Lining up alongside former Arizona Cardinal safety Pat Tillman at ASU, Smith earned honorable mention All pac-10 honors as a senior in 1996. San Fran offensive tackle Kyle Kosier is a Peoria, AZ native who played college ball at Arizona State after being named all state at Cactus High. San Francisco tight end/long snapper Brian Jennings is a Mesa, AZ native where he was prepped at Red Mountain High School lettering in football, basketball, and track. He played his college ball at Arizona State appearing in 32 games with four receptions and one touchdown in three years of action. Niners tight end Steve Bush played with the Cardinals from 2001-03 with 38 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns in 41 games (23 starts). Bush played his college football at Arizona State with career numbers of 65 receptions for 737 yards and seven touchdowns. He was part of the 1997 Pac-10 Championship team with former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will host back-to-back home games for the first/only time in the 2004 regular season and will play their second straight divisional opponent when the St. Louis Rams come to town. The Rams are on the road this week, facing the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Niners return home for the first of two straight games at Monster Park. Next week it’s the Washington Redskins and the week after it’ll be Buffalo.
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