2002 · Week 16 · Division

Final

49ers

San Francisco

QB Jeff Garcia

17·14

Cardinals

Arizona

QB Jake Plummer

Sun Devil Stadium · outdoors · grass · 50°F · wind 0mph

Closing spread

SF -3.5

Total

41

Model margin

-1.1est.

ARI perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Cardinals
  • 49ers

How each play moved the game.

Cardinals wins49ers wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

49ersedge mapCardinals
  • +0.098EPA / play-0.092
  • 45.2%Success rate38.4%
  • +0.159EPA / dropback-0.052
  • +0.004EPA / rush-0.160
  • 7.5%Explosive rate7.2%
  • 52.5%Third-down rate43.6%
  • 55.8%Red-zone TD rate55.4%
  • 1.83Points / drive1.06
  • 1.5%Turnover rate3.4%
  • +0.046EPA / play allowed+0.083

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

SF lead 28–22 since 1999

SF have won 2 straight. Meetings average 44.8 points. ARI are 23-26-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W11SF @ ARI4122SF
2025 · W3ARI @ SF1516SF
2024 · W18SF @ ARI2447ARI
2024 · W5ARI @ SF2423ARI
2023 · W15SF @ ARI4529SF
2023 · W4ARI @ SF1635SF
2022 · W18ARI @ SF1338SF
2022 · W11SF @ ARI3810SF

Box score

Individual performances

49ers

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jeff Garcia23/3925611

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Kevan Barlow13503.80
Garrison Hearst11383.51
Jeff Garcia551.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Tai Streets814900
Cedrick Wilson45560
J.J. Stokes47480
Eric Johnson37190
Garrison Hearst1190
Justin Swift2290

Cardinals

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jake Plummer16/2610921

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Marcel Shipp20844.20
Jake Plummer2147.00
Kevin Kasper2105.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Kevin Kasper47332
Marcel Shipp45310
Steve Bush44230
Jason McAddley27120
Nate Poole22100

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -3.52.8%4.6%3.0%7.4%7.2%2.8%4.2%

Positive margins favour Cardinals; negative favour 49ers.

Half-point at risk

7.45%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

46.2%

Expected total

46.7est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-3.61
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin-1.05