Cards KO 49ers; Leinart injures shoulder

Football Betting Lines

12/25/2006 - San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Leinart completed 9-of-13 passes for 162 yards and a score before spraining his left shoulder just before halftime, as the Arizona Cardinals went on to top San Francisco, 26-20, and knock the 49ers out of playoff contention.

Leinart got sacked by Roderick Green just under the two-minute mark of the second quarter and went to the locker room with a sprained left shoulder, but Kurt Warner came in to complete 9-of-13 passes for 105 yards in relief.

Edgerrin James rushed for 105 yards on 29 carries for the Cardinals (5-10), who have won three of their last four. Larry Fitzgerald caught four balls for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Anquan Boldin added 64 receiving yards on four catches.

Alex Smith completed 18-of-29 passes for 190 yards and an interception for the 49ers (6-9), who have dropped four of their last five. Frank Gore rushed for 51 yards on 11 attempts. Vernon Davis had four receptions for 91 yards, and Arnaz Battle posted 55 receiving yards on seven catches.

Because of San Francisco's loss, Seattle won the NFC West.

Gore scored on a one-yard run with five minutes left, but the Cardinals never gave the ball back after getting three more first downs.

San Francisco drew first blood on a 49-yard field goal from Joe Nedney with 10:19 remaining to cap a seven-play, 37-yard drive. Neil Rackers responded with a 25-yarder almost three minutes later to tie the score.

Marcel Shipp then ran it in from five yards out to cap an eight-play, 64-yard drive with a tick under a minute left to take a 10-3 Arizona lead into the second quarter.

Leinart got his passing game going and found Fitzgerald for a six-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 74-yard drive that chewed up over five minutes off the clock. Rackers followed with a 39-yarder about six minutes later, but Nedney converted a 32-yarder with just 22 seconds left for a 20-6 Arizona lead at halftime.

San Francisco punted on its first possession out of the locker room, but Troy Walters fumbled and Maurice Hicks recovered for the 49ers. They capitalized on the turnover when Gore scored from two yards out for a 20-13 deficit with 6:25 remaining in the third.

Rackers got credited with a 37-yard field goal three seconds into the fourth, but the ball actually hooked to the left of the upright, for a 23-13 Cardinals lead.

After Battle fumbled on San Fran's opening play of the drive, Robert Griffith recovered the ball. The Cardinals then needed just three plays to set up Rackers for a 32-yarder with 8:28 left.

The 49ers responded with a seven-play, all-passing drive to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Gore with five minutes left. However, Arizona picked up three first downs en route to running out the clock and the playoff hopes for the 49ers.

Game Notes

San Francisco has a 17-14 lead in its all-time series with the Cardinals, but has dropped four in a row to Arizona...The Cardinals opened University of Phoenix Stadium with a 34-27 win over San Francisco in Week 1, and also swept a pair of games against its NFC West rival last season. The Niners were 17-10 losers when Arizona visited Monster Park in Week 13...Prior to 2005, the 49ers had prevailed in eight of the previous nine head-to-head meetings. The Niners won by identical 31-28 marks, both in overtime, in a 2004 home-and- home...James became Arizona's first 1,000-yard rusher in eight years.