As Arizona aims to silence NFC West skeptics, insider Donnie Druin forecasts a razor-thin divisional battle that could push the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers to the brink.
The San Francisco 49ers have an interesting game ahead this weekend. They face the sneaky-good Arizona Cardinals with a chance to further cement their place atop the NFC West division.
Heading into the year, many had written off the Cardinals as legitimate NFC West contenders, and with good reason.
The West division brought back last season's Super Bowl Champions in the Seattle Seahawks. Then, of course, the Rams went out and added defense end Myles Garrett to bolster their pass rush after a double digit season of their own. Add in the 12-win Niners and many discounted that the Cardinals could make any noise.
Arizona made a statement in their first game stunning the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, they're perhaps starting to gain confidence that they can hang with some of the NFL's best.
Donnie Druin of Arizona Cardinals on SI made his prediction for the matchup. His prediction may surprise. Here is some of what Druin had to write about the Niners' matchup with the underrated Cardinals.
"For what it's worth, the Cardinals and 49ers have played each other tight in their last two meetings played in San Francisco. Both matchups were decided by one point.
The 49ers are clearly favorites here, and deservedly so. However, it does feel like we're discounting the Cardinals just a bit. They've played good football in six out of eight quarters and aren't a pushover like many national people see them.
This is shaping up to be another tough battle, and don't be surprised if this Cardinals-49ers matchup again goes down to the wire. We think the Cardinals score a late touchdown to cut it close, but the Niners survive and come out on top:
San Francisco: 24, Arizona: 20."
Sep 20, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout (20) reacts during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesDruin put into perspective what is at stake for both teams.
"The Cardinals are hoping to avoid another disaster season with new head coach Mike LaFleur in charge. Arizona's 1-1 and is hoping to bounce back from a forgettable Week 2 loss against Seattle.
The Niners, however, are 2-0 and have a solid claim to be football's best team through the opening two weeks of the season. However, injuries have hit them hard.
You never know with these tough NFC West divisional games — though everybody making Week 3 predictions across the league seems to be confident in the 49ers."
The Cardinals may have had a letdown against the Seahawks, but you can expect their best this week against the Niners. San Francisco will hope to get to 3-0 with a win on Sunday.
