Predicting the final 4 games of the 49ers' 2023 season
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 17 at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 ET/1:05 PT
These two teams already faced each other back in Week 4 in Santa Clara, a game the Cardinals kept pretty close through the third quarter until the 49ers emphatically closed it out via two fourth quarter touchdown runs to wrap up a 19-point victory.
That matchup featured now-Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs as the signal-caller for Arizona, and although the team has fared better since the return of Kyler Murray under center, the change at quarterback did not improve their defense.
Arizona has given up 331 points through 13 games, a 25.5 per game average that's 30th in the NFL, while also giving up a lot of yards (23rd), particularly on the ground where they are 30th in total yards allowed and 25th in yards per attempt.
And while they've been better offensively since Murray's return, their highwater mark is just 25 points scored in his four games. They do run the ball pretty efficiently (their 4.7 yards per rush is third in the league), but even that output has fluctuated throughout the season.
Sure, this is a division game and the Cardinals have nothing to lose at this point in the campaign, but the 49ers are more the more talented team and should win this one handily and clinch their second straight NFC West division title.