Today, the San Francisco 49ers (7-8) will host the Arizona Cardinals (11-4) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The 49ers are coming off of a 38-35 overtime home loss to the San Diego Chargers. The Cardinals are coming off of a 35-6 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
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At one point, the 49ers lead the Chargers by 21 points against the Chargers in last weekend's contest. As has been the case for much of the season, the team underachieved during the second half of the game and let that lead slip away.
However, the biggest story in this game for San Francisco isn't actually anything going on within the game. Today's contest against Arizona will be head coach Jim Harbaugh's final game with the 49ers. It has been reported that the team has agreed to let Harbaugh out of his contract and that he will be announced as the new head coach of the University of Michigan on Tuesday in Ann Arbor. However, he will still be on the sidelines for today's game.
Word out of Ann Arbor is that Michigan has offered Harbaugh a 6-year, $48 million deal to become their next head coach.
A number of 49ers players could be seeing their last action with the team today. Some of those players include running back Frank Gore, although the team has expressed some interest in having him return, Michael Crabtree, who will be a free agent, and Justin Smith, who is contemplating retirement.
The 49ers' current four-game losing streak is the longest since Jim Harbaugh has taken over as head coach.
For Arizona, they have some issues at quarterback. Rookie Logan Thomas was briefly scheduled to make his first career start, but head coach Bruce Arians appears to have changed his mind stating that Ryan Lindley, who has yet to throw a touchdown pass, would get the start against the 49ers. The team has failed to score a touchdown in their last two games.
The Cardinals could have won the NFC West last week with a victory, but instead were routed at home by the Seahawks. Now they need a win against the 49ers and a little help from the St. Louis Rams to win the division.
As usual, you can visit 49erswebzone.com for the latest news and updates during and after the game.
Quick Hits:
With a win, the 49ers would improve to 29-18 all-time against the Cardinals, including a 17-8 record at home.
The 49ers can win their sixth-consecutive home game against the Cardinals.
Frank Gore needs just 38 rushing yards this week to register his fourth consecutive season with 1,000 rushing yards in a season and the eighth time in his 10-year career.
With 19 receiving yards against the Cardinals, Anquan Boldin would reach 1,000 on the season. He would become the 4th player in franchise history with multiple seasons of 1,000-or-more receiving yards.
Offensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 23rd with 322.9 yards-per-game. The Cardinals rank 28th with 314.6 yards-per-game.
Defensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 5th, allowing 316.4 yards-per-game. The Cardinals rank 24th, allowing 366.4 yards-per-game.
Last Meeting:
The Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-14 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Kickoff:
The game kicks off at 1:25 PM PT.
Betting:
The 49ers are 6.5 point favorites.
Fan Picks:
At Yahoo! Sports, 60% of fans believe that the 49ers will win this game. Within our Pick 'em contest, 79% of fans believe that the 49ers will win this game.
Follow the Game:
You can follow the game live on NFL.com's Game Center.
Social Media:
You can also discuss the game with fans in the 49erswebzone.com forums. Become a fan of 49erswebzone.com on Facebook and Google+ or follow us on Twitter.
Television:
The game will be televised on FOX. Check 506 Sports to see if the game is being aired locally for you.
