Arizona Cardinals can’t keep up with 49ers’ Purdy and McCaffrey

The Arizona Cardinals lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 17 at State Farm Stadium.

Look back at our live coverage from the game.

Arizona Cardinals no match for Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals scored a late touchdown to make it 45-29 49ers, but the game was over long before that.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was 16-for-25 passing for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey added 115 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He also caught five passes for 72 yards and two of Purdy’s touchdown throws.

Arizona led 7-0 and trailed 14-13 in the second quarter. After that, the 49ers took over and outscored the Cardinals 31-16 the rest of the way.

Kyler Murray threw his only touchdown pass to Elijah Higgins with 47 seconds to play. He finished 26-for-39 for 211 yards with two interceptions. He had six carries for 49 yards. He was sacked three times.

James Conner had 14 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown for Arizona.

The Cardinals (3-11) play at the Bears next week.

Brock Purdy putting on a show

A 19-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel gave 49ers QB Brock Purdy his fourth score of the game.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Purdy had already collected 242 passing yards while completing 16 of 25 pass attempts.

San Francisco added a field goal with a little more than 3 minutes to play.

49ers 45, Cardinals 22 (3:09 Q4)

Emari Demercado scores for Cardinals

On first-and-10 from the 49ers 49, Emari Demercado broke free for a 49-yard touchdown run.

The play came right after the Cardinals converted a fourth-and-3 attempt from their own 46 with a short pass to Greg Dortch.

The eight-play drive lasted 4:38 and covered 75 yards. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

49ers 35, Cardinals 22 (11:30 Q4)

49ers tack on another TD

Christian McCaffrey carried the ball 1 yard up the middle for his third touchdown of the game.

The 60-yard drive by the 49ers used six plays and took 3:12 off the clock.

It was highlighted by a 22-yard pass from Brock Purdy to Brandon Aiyuk and an 18-yard carry by McCaffrey.

49ers 35, Cardinals 16 (End Q3)

Murray returns, Cards settle for FG

Kyler Murray returned from an undisclosed injury in the third quarter and led the Cardinals on an 81-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard Matt Prater field goal.

The Cardinals had a first-and-goal from the 49ers 5, but a fumble by Murray backed them up. An incomplete pass on third down, left the Cardinals facing fourth-and-goal from the 9.

It was Prater’s third field goal of the game.

49ers 28, Cardinals 16 (4:20 Q3)

Kyler Murray left the game early in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury.

He walked from the field after sitting on the turf for some time. He immediately went to the injury tent.

In his absence, Clayton Tune’s aborted pass resulted in a fumble and 9-yard loss.

Blake Gillikin ended the possession with a 50-yard punt.

49ers 28, Cardinals 13 (11:39 Q3)

Purdy finds McCaffrey for TD

Christian McCaffrey caught to the ball, fell to the turf and still had time to get up and race to the end zone before I Cardinals player touched him.

The 41-yard pass and the point after put the 49ers up 28-13 on the first drive of the second half.

On the drive, Purdy also completed a 35-yard pass to George Kittle.

49ers 28, Cardinals 13 (13:18 Q3)

Cardinals-49ers at the half

The 49ers maintain a 21-13 lead over the Cardinals.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is 7-for-12 for 98 yards with an interception. He’s also been sacked twice.

James Conner has 10 carries for 27 yards. Trey McBride has three receptions for 61 yards.

Christian McCaffrey has nine carries for 51 yards and four receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown for San Francisco. Brock Purdy is 12-for-17 for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Blake Gillikin’s punt of 62-yards nearly changed the fate for the Cardinals in the final minute. On the return, it was initially ruled that the ball-carrier fumbled and the Cardinals returned the ball to score. however, that was overturned upon review.

49ers extend lead over Cardinals

The Cardinals used a pair of field goals to narrow the gap, but the 49ers needed just one touchdown pass to reopen it.

Brock Purdy completed a 5-yard pass to Christian McCaffrey for the touchdown.

During the drive, Purdy briefly left the field with a left shoulder stinger. In his absence, Sam Darnold took over.

When Purdy returned to the field, he completed passes to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to set up the score.

49ers 21, Cardinals 13 (1:14 Q2)

Geoff Swaim exits with injury; Cardinals get FG

Cardinals tight end Geoff Swaim left the game with 7:17 left in the fourth quarter with a calf injury. He is questionable to return.

On the play in which Swaim went down, the pocket collapsed on Kyler Murray, which resulted in a fumble. Paris Johnson recovered the ball for Arizona, but not before a mass of bodies piled on the ground with Swaim among them.

Swaim was helped from the field and taken to the locker room on a cart.

Arizona ended the possession with a 43-yard field goal from Matt Prater a few plays later.

49ers 14, Cardinals 13 (6:14 Q2)

Prater good from 58

Matt Prater kicked a 58-yard field goal for the Cardinals.

The kick game after Arizona’s drive stalled early in the second quarter.

After a delay of game penalty against and Kyler Murray was sacked by Nick Bosa, the Cardinals faced second-and-22. On third down, Murray completed a 12-yard pass to Trey McBride, which got Arizona within Prater’s range.

49ers 14, Cardinals 10 (14:11 Q2)

49ers nab pick six

Charvarius Ward intercepted a Kyler Murray pass and returned it 66 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

The point after made it 14-7 49ers less than 2 minutes after the visiting team scored for the first time.

The interception overshadowed a great catch by Geoff Swaim, who catch a ball intended for Trey McBride the ricocheted off a defender. Pass interfere was called against Dre Greenlaw on the play, but it was declined in favor of the completion.