Last meeting
Arnaz Battle rushed around the left end and scored the winning touchdown to give the 49ers a thrilling 20-17 win over the Cardinals in Week 1. Quarterback Alex Smith drove the 49ers 60-yards for the winning touchdown, after struggling for most of the game.
Last week
The 49ers' rally fell just short when the Rams' O.J. Atogwe intercepted Trent Dilfer's pass on the final play of the game to give St. Louis a 13-9 win at San Francisco. ... Antrel Rolle had three interceptions and returned two for touchdowns as the Cardinals beat the host Bengals, 35-27.
Key matchup:
Niners quarterback Trent Dilfer vs. Cardinals pass defense. The most amazing part of Rolle's performance against the Bengals is that he is a nickel back who had only two career interceptions before playing the Bengals. The Cardinals are crediting the defensive schemes of defensive backs coach Teryl Austin to their recent success, which includes six interceptions in the past two games. The Cardinals will face a 49ers team that has struggled passing the ball with Alex Smith, who is out at least two weeks, and Dilfer. Teams don't respect San Francisco's aerial attack and are successfully focusing their attention on running back Frank Gore, who has struggled breaking free from all of the extra attention.