Arizona Cardinals squeak by San Francisco 49ers 19-13

The San Francisco 49ers gave the Arizona Cardinals everything they could handle on Sunday.  However in the end the Cardinals were able to overcome a sluggish performance on both offense and defense and defeat the 49ers 19-13.  They got to 9-2 on the season.

The Cardinals and 49ers combined for just nine points in the first half, leading 6-3 at halftime.  The Cardinals missed out on a couple of chances to take advantage of 49ers turnovers.  They had a couple of failed third down conversions and a failed fourth down conversion.  It was enough to tear your hair out.  Still, they held the slight lead.

On Arizona Sports 98.7 after the game, Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson said the team expected to be challenged.

"We knew we had to come out and its going to be a fight."

Jefferson was also asked about the lack of success during the game in converting plays on offense and making plays on defense. Niners quarterback Blaine Gabbert went 25-36 for 318 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  It was Gabbert’s second career 300-yard game.

"We lost focus quite a few times during that game"

That much was obvious.  It did seem at times the Cardinals did lose focus.  The execution at times was not there.  On the second to last offensive drive though for the Cardinals, they were able to make some plays to get into the end zone.

The best play of the drive was the 34-yard catch by receiver J.J. Nelson.  Quarterback Carson Palmer fell backwards as he threw it up and Nelson hauled it down at the Niners one-yard line.  Nelson was asked about the play.

"Coach called a great play….I just had to make a great catch."

That he did.  Then a couple of plays later Palmer ran the ball into the end zone from seven-yards out.  It was Palmer’s first rushing touchdown of the season.  It was that kind of game.

Palmer didn’t throw any touchdowns, the Cardinals came down with a couple of injuries which we will find more about on later in Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington, and allowed the Niners to run up and down the field but yet came away with the victory.

Then kicker Chandler Catanzaro made us sweat a little more.  He missed the extra-point.  We had to watch the Niners get one more offensive drive to try and win the game. However the Cardinals defense came up with a huge sack of Gabbert and gave the Niners a fourth and 20.  They got 19-yards on the play and that was that.

Today we take it.  Onto the St. Louis Rams.