How the Cardinals Can Play Spoiler vs. 49ers

The Arizona Cardinals, though out of the playoffs, can still knock their division rivals in the San Francisco 49ers down a notch before the postseason begins.

The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers are trending in two very different directions ahead of their Week 18 matchup.

The Cardinals are on the verge of smashing the rest button after one of the more tumultuous seasons in recent memory. The 49ers have won nine games in a row and are considered to be one of the best teams in all of football. 

Arizona has been long out of contention for the postseason, having made the playoffs now just once since 2016. However, any NFC West meeting carries a little extra weight, and Week 18 is no different. 

The Cardinals have a chance to play spoiler against San Francisco today, as a win against Arizona and an Eagles loss to the Giants would push the 49ers into the NFC's No. 1 seed. 

At 12-4, San Francisco is currently behind Philadelphia (13-3) and tied with Minnesota (12-4) in the NFC playoff picture. 

There's not a whole lot of wiggle room for the 49ers to fall, as they can only really drop down to the No. 3 seed with a loss and Vikings win. A win would guarantee them no worse than the No. 2 seed.

The 49ers know exactly what's at stake, as playoff positioning becomes premier this time of season. A first-round bye would be greatly utilized as a week of rest after a grueling regular season, and knowing you have homefield advantage all the way through a potential conference championship game can absolutely make a difference. 

Despite a rumor mill churning at the speed of light, the Cardinals hope they can grab one last victory before the regular season comes to a conclusion, especially if it means sending J.J. Watt riding off into the sunset after an otherwise disappointing season for Arizona. 

Never underestimate a hungry team, especially in an NFC West battle. The cards are stacked against them, but if there's one thing Arizona can hang their hat on, it's the ability to deny a rival's opportunity at getting a first-round bye moving forward. 

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