49ers Smash Cardinals in Mexico City

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals met in Mexico City on Monday Night Football for the final international game of the 2022 regular season, and the pecking order in the NFC West came into sharp relief. The 49ers cruised to an easy win over their division rivals, crushing the Cardinals 38-10.

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The 49ers thoroughly outclassed the Cardinals in all facets. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo netted 228 yards on 29 pass attempts with four touchdown passes, and the 49ers totalled 159 rushing yards on only 28 totes. The team also smothered the Cardinals offense, notching three sacks and nabbing two interceptions on their way to allowing a mere 10 points and 314 total yards of offense.

In the end, the Cardinals couldn't overcome the absences of several key players, including franchise quarterback Kyler Murray and leading wide receiver Marquise Brown. Now at 4-7, they'll cross their fingers Murray can make a quick return and preserve what little hope remains of a playoff berth at the end of the season.

As for the 49ers, they advance to 6-4 with a division title well in sight. They'll duke it out with the 6-4 Seattle Seahawks over the back half of the season for the NFC West crown, assuming the 4-7 Cardinals or 3-7 Rams don't have a miracle turnaround in them.

Photo Credit: © Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports