"Divisional games are always a slog, right? The stakes are high, the bad blood is boiling, and the teams know each other so well that it turns into a chess match. That's the nice little story we tell ourselves to explain away the first two-and-a-half quarters of the snooze-fest that was the 49ers-Cardinals game on Sunday. For a while there, it was a brutal watch."
"For a while there, it was a brutal watch. Two offenses that looked like they were allergic to the end zone. Kicks and punts and something even worse than three-and-outs 12-play drives that only gain 30-something yards and no points were the order of the day. This is what we used our precious Sunday on? But just as the Bay was, collectively, about to change the channel and start mowing the lawn or washing the car, the game shifted. It became a game."
"STUDS Ricky Pearsall WRYou look at the receiving corps around him Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore and you think if there was ever a game for this kid to be really good, this was it. And he was. He ended the game with eight catches for 117 yards, but more importantly, he sparked the win. Bryce Huff DEWith Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams (for a stretch) out, Huff stepped up in a big way."
The 49ers and Cardinals produced a sluggish, low-scoring divisional matchup through two and a half quarters marked by stagnant offenses and field-position football. Long, 12-play drives often gained only 30-something yards and resulted in no points, while kicks and punts dominated the early game. The contest transformed late with a back-breaking interception, a safety and a 1:46 game-winning drive that delivered a 16-15 49ers victory. Key contributors included Ricky Pearsall (eight catches, 117 yards) who helped spark the win, Bryce Huff who recorded a sack and pass deflection while playing on running downs, and improved return work from Skyy Moore.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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