Niners QB Joshua Dobbs Makes His Return to the Desert as a Starter

SF 49ers

By Associated Press

Published 2 weeks ago on

January 4, 2025

The 49ers face the Cardinals on Sunday. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)

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By the Numbers

San Francisco (6-10) at Arizona (7-9)

Sunday, 1:25 p.m. PT, Fox.

BetMGM Odds: Cardinals by 4.

Against the spread: 49ers 5-11; Cardinals 10-6.

Series record: 49ers lead 36-30.

Last meeting: Cardinals beat 49ers 24-23 on Oct. 6, in Santa Clara.

Last week: 49ers lost to Lions 40-34; Cardinals lost to Rams 13-9.

49ers offense: overall (5), rush (11), pass (4), scoring (13)

49ers defense: overall (6), rush (17), pass (4) scoring (22)

Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (7), pass (18), scoring (15)

Cardinals defense: overall (18), rush (20), pass (12), scoring (14t)

Turnover differential: 49ers minus-7; Cardinals minus-6

49ers Player to Watch

QB Joshua Dobbs. With starter Brock Purdy out with an elbow injury, Dobbs will make his first start for San Francisco. Dobbs started eight games for Arizona last season before being traded to Minnesota. He has a 77.5 career passer rating with 15 TD passes, 13 interceptions and 5.8 yards per attempt in 14 starts.

Cardinals Players to Watch

TE Trey McBride. He’s been one of the NFL’s best tight ends this season and became just the 10th tight end in NFL history to top 100 receptions in a season during his 12-catch game against the Rams last week. The 25-year-old is hard to bring down, with 480 of his 1,081 yards receiving coming after the catch.

Key Matchup

QB Kyler Murray vs. San Francisco’s defense. Murray’s had some trouble taking care of the football over the past 1 1/2 months, throwing five TDs and eight INTs over the past six games. The Niners defense has been one of the best in the NFL against the pass this season.

Key Injuries

San Francisco OL Spencer Burford (calf) will miss another game, leaving recent additions Charlie Heck and Austen Pleasants to likely split time at LT with Trent Williams and Jaylon Moore already out. … Nick Zakelj will make his second career start at LG with Aaron Banks and Ben Bartch sidelined. … CB Charvarius Ward is expected back this week after missing last week’s game for personal reasons. … Cardinals RB James Conner (knee) is out for the season after being put on injured reserve earlier this week. He ran for 1,094 yards this season.

Series Notes

The Cardinals beat the 49ers earlier this season, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series. This is the sixth time since 2002 that the division rivals have met in the final game of the regular season.

Stats and Stuff

The 49ers have lost six of seven games and with one more loss they will have their second-worst record in eight seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan. They went 4-12 in 2018. … San Francisco is 1-4 in division games after going 11-1 the previous two seasons against NFC West rivals. … The 49ers have two takeaways in eight games since returning from the bye week. … Niners TE George Kittle topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season for the fourth time last week. Only Travis Kelce (seven) has more among TEs. … WR Ricky Pearsall had eight catches for 141 yards and a TD last week for the most yards receiving for a 49ers rookie since Jerry Rice had 241 against the Rams in 1985. … San Francisco DE Nick Bosa had two sacks last week and needs one more for his fourth straight season with double-digit sacks. … Jake Moody missed two long field goals and a PAT last week. His nine missed FGs are the most for a Niners kicker since David Akers had 13 in 2012. Moody is 4 for 12 on FGs from at least 40 yards since returning from a high ankle sprain in Week 10. … San Francisco WR Jauan Jennings needs 77 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career. … The Cardinals have lost five of six since entering their bye week with a 6-4 record. … Arizona has a 5-3 record at home this season. … McBride needs 12 catches in the finale to match the NFL record of 116 set by Zach Ertz with the Eagles in 2018. McBride has caught 12 passes in three games this season … WR Marvin Harrison Jr. needs 78 yards receiving to hit 900 for the season. He’d be just the second rookie WR in franchise history with at least 900 yards in a season, joining Anquan Boldin, who had 1,377 yards in 2003. … The Cardinals defense has 12 different players who have had at least two sacks this season, which leads the NFL.

Fantasy Tip

Harrison had six catches for 96 yards last week in one of his most productive games of the season. Look for Arizona to try and get him involved early and often as they try to give him some momentum heading into the offseason.