By Craig Morgan
FOXSportsArizona.com
The NFL got exactly what it wanted when it scheduled an NFC West divisional game in the final week of the season: two teams battling for the division title and one playoff berth.
Of course, that storyline was supposed to color the 49ers-Cardinals matchup Sunday in San Francisco. Instead, the Seahawks-Rams night game in Seattle holds all the drama, while the two-time defending NFC West champion Cards and 2010's preseason favorite, the 49ers, are left to wonder what happened.
The simplest answer was apparent when 49ers interim coach Jim Tomsula was asked Wednesday why he chose to start quarterback Alex Smith this week instead of Troy Smith, who beat the Cards in Arizona on Nov. 29.
"Experience" was Tomsula's one-word response.
Not Smith's ability to make plays. Not his poise. Not his game-management skills.
Rather than paint a rosy picture, Tomsula went with the old adage, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
There has been little positive to report on the 49ers and Cardinals quarterbacks this season.
Arizona's erstwhile starter, Derek Anderson, owns the league's second-worst passer rating (65.9) among qualified QBs. His replacements, Max Hall and John Skelton, are even worse, although Skelton has won two of his three starts.
Alex Smith has completed 189 of 313 passes for 2,094 yards with 12 TDs and 10 interceptions for a rating of 79.7 (23rd in the NFL). Troy Smith has completed 73 of 145 for 1,176 yards with five TDs, four interceptions and a rating of 77.8.
"It's a quarterback-driven league, and those teams have not gotten good play at that position," former Cards quarterback Kurt Warner said. "Arizona's situation has been talked about a lot this season, but San Francisco has been in flux at quarterback for years, and that's why they don't ever live up to expectations."
Pride and draft position are the only things on the line when the teams meet Sunday in what had been a heated rivalry until the clubs' November meeting.
Both teams still believed they had a shot at the division crown then. Yet while the 49ers played like it, the Cards were noticeably short on passion and effort in a 27-6 loss.
The disparity between that performance and last week's win over the Cowboys on Christmas Day was striking when coach Ken Whisenhunt viewed it on film.
"You see two different teams," said Whisenhunt, who pointed out the disparity to his players. "It's been discussed."
One team has swept the season series every year since 2004. The Cards are hoping to end that streak.
"To lose four in a row to a team is completely unacceptable," receiver Larry Fitzgerald said.
3 THINGS TO WATCH VS. 49ERS
WR Steve Breaston: Breaston played a limited role last week. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said it was due to lingering knee issues but Breaston played this season on a one-year tender offer of $2.4 million. Depending upon the outcome of labor negotiations, Breaston could become a free agent after the season. If Andre Roberts sees the lion's share of action again this week, does it signal the Cards are evaluating whether they can live without Breaston?
Passion: The Cards played without it in the team's first meeting, an oddity for a rivalry that normally stirs up strong emotions. It would help the offseason mood if the Cards played with fire and ended on a high note.
DE Calais Campbell: Campbell has played well the past couple of weeks, sparking hopes that he can still become the player most thought he would be before a disappointing season. Campbell has sacks in each of his last two games. The Cards are desperate for a consistent pass rush.
3 QUICK FACTS
-- Cardinals defensive coordinator Bill Davis served in the same position for San Francisco from 2005-06.
-- Cardinals WR Steve Breaston (1999-02) and San Francisco CB Shawntae Spencer (1996-99) both played at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. 49ers interim coach Jim Tomsula coached there.
-- With one more return for a TD (punt, kickoff, interception or fumble), the Cards will tie the NFL's all-time record of 13 set by Seattle in 1998.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Not much, other than sole possession of last place in the division and draft status.
OUTLOOK
The Cards have been brutal on the road, losing their last six, with their only win coming in Week 1 in St. Louis. The 49ers have been pretty good at home (4-3), with two of the three losses coming by a field goal. We're betting the streak of series sweeps stretches to seven seasons.
Prediction: 49ers 23, Cardinals 17.
