Quick answer
- Winner
- San Francisco 49ers
- Final score
- San Francisco 49ers 20–17 Arizona Cardinals
- Halftime
- Arizona Cardinals 17–13 San Francisco 49ers at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- M. Floyd
- Top passer
- R. Lindley
- Biggest EPA play
- (9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. …
- Game date
- 2014-12-28
Game summary
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 20–17 on 2014-12-28, overcoming Arizona Cardinals's 17–13 halftime lead. M. Floyd posted a game-high +14.29 total EPA in the receiving.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 16 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
 San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Scoring Map
Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.
ARIArizona Cardinals(11:01) 14-R.Lindley pass deep middle to 15-M.Floyd for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Flea-Flicker Pass, M.Grice lateralled back to R.Lindley.
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
(9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
(12:39) 9-P.Dawson 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
(6:09) 9-P.Dawson 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
(1:40) 7-C.Catanzaro 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
(:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the field stands.
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
(:30) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short right to 49-B.Miller for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
SFSan Francisco 49ersFantasyHQ Analytics
Scoring timeline
Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.
- ARIArizona Cardinals
Q1 11:01TD MFM. FloydPoints+6
- Yard line
- SF 20
- Score
- 6-0
(11:01) 14-R.Lindley pass deep middle to 15-M.Floyd for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Flea-Flicker Pass, M.Grice lateralled back to R.Lindley.
- ARIArizona Cardinals
Q1 10:55XP CCC. CatanzaroPoints+1
- Yard line
- SF 2
- Score
- 7-0
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q1 9:36TD ABA. BoldinPoints+6
- Yard line
- ARI 76
- Score
- 7-6
(9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q1 9:24XP PDP. DawsonPoints+1
- Yard line
- ARI 2
- Score
- 7-7
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q2 12:39FG PDP. DawsonPoints+3
- Yard line
- ARI 35
- Score
- 7-10
(12:39) 9-P.Dawson 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q2 6:09FG PDP. DawsonPoints+3
- Yard line
- ARI 19
- Score
- 7-13
(6:09) 9-P.Dawson 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
- ARIArizona Cardinals
Q2 1:40FG CCC. CatanzaroPoints+3
- Yard line
- SF 18
- Score
- 10-13
(1:40) 7-C.Catanzaro 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
- ARIArizona Cardinals
Q2 0:42TD MFM. FloydPoints+6
- Yard line
- SF 41
- Score
- 16-13
(:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the field stands.
- ARIArizona Cardinals
Q2 0:36XP CCC. CatanzaroPoints+1
- Yard line
- SF 2
- Score
- 17-13
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q3 0:30TD Points+6
- Yard line
- ARI 3
- Score
- 17-19
(:30) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short right to 49-B.Miller for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- SFSan Francisco 49ers
Q3 0:25XP PDP. DawsonPoints+1
- Yard line
- ARI 2
- Score
- 17-20
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1M. Floyd · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +14.29 total EPA · 12 snaps · +1.19 EPA/play
- 2C. Kaepernick · San Francisco 49ers · Passing · +10.91 total EPA · 34 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
- 3R. Lindley · Arizona Cardinals · Passing · +7.91 total EPA · 43 snaps · +0.18 EPA/play
- 4A. Boldin · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +3.60 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.40 EPA/play
- 5M. Crabtree · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +2.65 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.66 EPA/play
- 6S. Taylor · Arizona Cardinals · Rushing · +2.53 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
- 7D. Fells · Arizona Cardinals · Receiving · +2.21 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.74 EPA/play
- 8Q. Patton · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +2.00 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.00 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
M. Floyd — ARI · Receiving
M. Floyd posted the highest total EPA (+14.29) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Arizona Cardinals. Across 12 counted snaps, they averaged +1.19 EPA per play.
M. Floyd's top snap (+5.25 EPA): (:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the f
Biggest single play (+7.11 EPA): C. Kaepernick — (9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC
Quarterback report card
R. Lindley led all passers in efficiency for Arizona Cardinals, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- R. Lindley (Arizona Cardinals) · 43 dropbacks · 53.5% completion · +0.2% CPOE · +0.18 EPA/play · +7.91 total EPA
- C. Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers) · 34 dropbacks · 44.1% completion · -4.6% CPOE · +0.32 EPA/play · +10.91 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | Arizona Cardinals | San Francisco 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.091 | +0.122 |
| Offensive success rate | 50.0% | 42.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.170 | +0.321 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.037 | -0.032 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.122 | -0.091 |
| Defensive success rate | 57.5% | 50.0% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Arizona Cardinals +0.09, San Francisco 49ers +0.12) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Arizona Cardinals: +0.09 EPA/play (75th percentile vs. 2014 team-game averages)
- San Francisco 49ers: +0.12 EPA/play (82nd percentile vs. 2014 team-game averages)
- Arizona Cardinals: 9 drives, +7.48 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
- San Francisco 49ers: 10 drives, +9.74 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Arizona Cardinals — M. Floyd (R. Lindley pass)
- San Francisco 49ers — A. Boldin (C. Kaepernick pass)
- Arizona Cardinals — M. Floyd (R. Lindley pass)
- San Francisco 49ers — Blake Miller (C. Kaepernick pass)
Field goals
- San Francisco 49ers — P. Dawson
- San Francisco 49ers — P. Dawson
- Arizona Cardinals — C. Catanzaro
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the SF 20 (Q1 11:01) — (11:01) 14-R.Lindley pass deep middle to 15-M.Floyd for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Flea-Flicker Pass, M.Grice lateralled back to R.Lindley.; Arizona Cardinals added 1 points from the SF 2 (Q1 10:55) — 7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.; San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the ARI 76 (Q1 9:36) — (9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the ARI 2 (Q1 9:24) — 9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee..
The second quarter: Arizona Cardinals won the period 10–6. San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the ARI 35 (Q2 12:39) — (12:39) 9-P.Dawson 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the ARI 19 (Q2 6:09) — (6:09) 9-P.Dawson 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.; Arizona Cardinals connected on a field goal from the SF 18 (Q2 1:40) — (1:40) 7-C.Catanzaro 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler.; Arizona Cardinals found the end zone from the SF 41 (Q2 0:42); Arizona Cardinals added 1 points from the SF 2 (Q2 0:36) — 7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler..
The third quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 7–0. San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the ARI 3 (Q3 0:30) — (:30) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short right to 49-B.Miller for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the ARI 2 (Q3 0:25) — 9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q1 9:36) — (9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 0:42) — (:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld.
- Arizona Cardinals (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley sacked at ARI 11 for -9 yards (59-A.Lynch).
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 9:11) — (9:11) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass short right intended for 39-R.Hughes INTERCEPTED by 57-M.Wilhoite at SF 25. 57-M.Wilhoite to SF 25 for no gain (39-R.Hughes).
- San Francisco 49ers (Q4 2:06) — (2:06) 4-A.Lee punts 39 yards to end zone, Center-86-K.Nelson, Touchback.
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q1 9:36) — (9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 0:42) — (:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld.
- Arizona Cardinals (Q2 9:11) — (9:11) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass short right intended for 39-R.Hughes INTERCEPTED by 57-M.Wilhoite at SF 25. 57-M.Wilhoite to SF 25 for no gain (39-R.Hughes).
- San Francisco 49ers (Q3 5:34) — (5:34) 7-C.Kaepernick scrambles left tackle pushed ob at SF 49 for 30 yards (31-A.Cromartie).
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
- Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q1 11:01 · SF 20 · Score 6-0
(11:01) 14-R.Lindley pass deep middle to 15-M.Floyd for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Flea-Flicker Pass, M.Grice lateralled back to R.Lindley. - Arizona Cardinals XP (+1) — Q1 10:55 · SF 2 · Score 7-0
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler. - San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q1 9:36 · ARI 76 · Score 7-6
(9:36) (Shotgun) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short middle to 81-A.Boldin for 76 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 39. 61-yds YAC - San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q1 9:24 · ARI 2 · Score 7-7
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q2 12:39 · ARI 35 · Score 7-10
(12:39) 9-P.Dawson 53 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q2 6:09 · ARI 19 · Score 7-13
(6:09) 9-P.Dawson 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee. - Arizona Cardinals FG (+3) — Q2 1:40 · SF 18 · Score 10-13
(1:40) 7-C.Catanzaro 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler. - Arizona Cardinals TD (+6) — Q2 0:42 · SF 41 · Score 16-13
(:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld. - Arizona Cardinals XP (+1) — Q2 0:36 · SF 2 · Score 17-13
7-C.Catanzaro extra point is GOOD, Center-82-M.Leach, Holder-2-D.Butler. - San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q3 0:30 · ARI 3 · Score 17-19
(:30) 7-C.Kaepernick pass short right to 49-B.Miller for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q3 0:25 · ARI 2 · Score 17-20
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-4-A.Lee.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- San Francisco 49ers earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- M. Floyd (Arizona Cardinals) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- C. Kaepernick (SF) finished below expected efficiency despite volume.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers on 2014-12-28?
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-17 in Week 17, 2014.
What was the score by quarter in Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers?
Q1: Arizona Cardinals 7, San Francisco 49ers 7; Q2: Arizona Cardinals 10, San Francisco 49ers 6; Q3: Arizona Cardinals 0, San Francisco 49ers 7; Final: Arizona Cardinals 17, San Francisco 49ers 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers?
Arizona Cardinals touchdown — M. Floyd (R. Lindley pass) (Q1 11:01) San Francisco 49ers touchdown — A. Boldin (C. Kaepernick pass) (Q1 9:36) Arizona Cardinals touchdown — M. Floyd (R. Lindley pass) (Q2 0:42) San Francisco 49ers touchdown — B. Miller (C. Kaepernick pass) (Q3 0:30) San Francisco 49ers field goal — P. Dawson (Q2 12:39, 3 pts) San Francisco 49ers field goal — P. Dawson (Q2 6:09, 3 pts) Arizona Cardinals field goal — C. Catanzaro (Q2 1:40, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers?
R. Lindley (Arizona Cardinals), 53.5% completion, +0.2% CPOE, +0.18 EPA per dropback, +7.91 total passing EPA. C. Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers), 44.1% completion, -4.6% CPOE, +0.32 EPA per dropback, +10.91 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers?
M. Floyd (Arizona Cardinals) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +14.29 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 12 snaps. Their top snap (+5.25 EPA): (:42) (Shotgun) 14-R.Lindley pass deep right to 15-M.Floyd for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught at SF 9. 9-yds YAC The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and .
Was Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. San Francisco 49ers won 20-17 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Arizona Cardinals
Entered 11-4 Now 11-5 L
San Francisco 49ers
Entered 7-8 Now 8-8 W
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