San Francisco
49ers
6-0
31
FINAL
14
Arizona
Cardinals
4-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe San Francisco 49ers secured a decisive 31-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18 of the 2026 season, solidifying their playoff positioning as the regular season comes to a close. With this win, the 49ers demonstrated their dominance, showcasing a well-rounded team effort that leaves them poised for postseason success.
Dak Prescott led the charge for San Francisco, throwing for two touchdowns while efficiently managing the game. De'Von Achane was a force on the ground, racking up 124 rushing yards and consistently breaking through the Cardinals' defense. Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. put up solid numbers for Arizona with 251 passing yards, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the 49ers' offensive firepower.
Defensively, Andrew Van Ginkel was a standout for San Francisco, recording three total tackles and a crucial sack that disrupted Arizona's rhythm. The game's turning point came late in the second quarter when Jack Campbell intercepted a pass, shifting momentum back to the 49ers and allowing them to extend their lead before halftime. The combination of offensive execution and defensive prowess ultimately secured San Francisco's convincing win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 17 | 8 | 47% | 251 | 2 | 2 | 93.0 |
| Dak Prescott | QB | 21 | 15 | 71% | 191 | 2 | 0 | 131.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane | HB | 10 | 124 | 12.4 | 8 | 1 | 87 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 1 | 77 | 77.0 | — | 1 | 77 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Rachaad White | HB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Nyheim Miller-Hines | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Andrews | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Watson | WR | 4 | 124 | 31.0 | 22 | 2 | 53 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 5 | 61 | 12.2 | 54 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Matthew Golden | WR | 1 | 53 | 53.0 | — | 0 | 53 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 15 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Mark Andrews | TE | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 23 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Deebo Samuel Sr | WR | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Elijah Higgins | TE | 1 | 27 | 27.0 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Rachaad White | HB | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 14 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Kyle Williams | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Van Ginkel | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Riley Moss | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamien Sherwood | WILL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris McClellan | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quay Walker | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Braden Fiske | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Clark | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Izien | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Cross | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Winters | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Emmanuel Forbes Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quan Martin | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carrington Valentine | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Byard III | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo Santos | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 53 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

