subject: Arizona visits San Francisco hoping to end with their 5-game losing streak [print this page] Arizona visits San Francisco hoping to end with their 5-game losing streak
Both teams will be disputing the tie breaker for the last place of the NFC West, which happens to be the weakest Division in the Conference.
Monday Night Football will not have an exciting game for the top seats of the Division, put regardless of this, it doesn't mean that the Arizona Cardinals' visit to the San Francisco 49ers will be less attractive and thrilling, since both teams will have their pride in game as they try to escape from the last place of the NFC West on Week 12. With the 2010 NFL regular season more than half way through, the upcoming games between Division rivals will be vital, as there is no margin of error at these instances.
San Francisco couldn't have had a worst beginning of season, as they suffered 5 defeats in a row and couldn't surpass the 24-point barrier -something that they still have been unable to do-, but were at least able break that humiliating losing streak on Week 6. They put an end to their winless season thanks to a 17-9 home triumph against the Oakland Riders, but that victory was no boost, as they lost the next game at Carolina, 23-20 to the Panthers.
They showed some signs of reaction winning the game before and the one after they Bye on Week 9, and what was supposed to be the confirmation of their awaking in the season, was more of a ratification of the struggle that the 49ers are going though, as they were blanked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-0 on Week 11.
San Francisco's outlook should comfort its rivals, but not when the rival is going through a situation as delicate as theirs, which is the case of Arizona. Although things didn't start as bad for them as they did for the 49ers, the Cardinals have been in a free fall since they returned from their Bye on Week 7, and have not know nothing but losing ever since. Five defeats in five games is the negative balance that has crushed Arizona's playoff aspirations, and the only objective right now is to make these Cardinals fly again.
Arizona's performance is very far away from the previous two seasons where they clinched the division on both occasions, and is closer to 2006 eight-game losing streak, which was the last year that they had a losing season (5-11). If there is someone that the Cardinals are really missing this season is their former quarterback Kurt Warner -retired on January 29, 2010- who guided them to those two division titles with 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2008, and 3,753 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2009. Starter QB Derek Anderson arrived from the Cleveland Bengals this season with the though mission of replacing Warner, but his first season as a Cardinal is not coming together as fans would have liked. Anderson has been throwing 146 of 272 for 1176 yards, 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
The table is served for the tiebreaking game that will dictate who occupies that last place of the NFC West, where both teams are 3-7 in the season for a .300 win percentage
