Arizona Cardinals hang on to beat San Francisco 49ers on last play

The Cardinals' 23-20 victory over the 49ers on Sunday was not pleasing to the eyes, nor did it inspire confidence that a long winning streak is imminent.

But like growing old, it sure beat the alternative for the Cardinals and their fans.

A loss to the 49ers would have served as the pop-up timer on this Cardinals season, signaling that it was done.

A loss and “it’s over,” said Cardinals coach Bruce Arians. “You know? It’s over if you don’t win at home.”

The Cardinals (4-4-1) lost two games and tied one at home in the first half of the season. With five of their last seven on the road, they could ill afford to lose at home to anyone else, much less the lowly 49ers (1-8).

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It was not a convincing win. The Cardinals led 20-10 at halftime and didn’t score again until Chandler Catanzaro made a 34-yard field goal as time expired.

BOX SCORE: Cardinals 23, 49ers 20

The Cardinals committed four turnovers, couldn’t run the ball against the NFL’s worst run defense and allowed the 49ers to score 10 points after two turnovers in the second half.

But they won.

“Another day at the steel mill, man,” said offensive tackle D.J. Humphries.

The Cardinals’ mill hasn’t operated smoothly all season, and Sunday was no exception. Still, the Cardinals appeared in good shape when receiver Larry Fitzgerald made a 19-yard catch down the sideline on third down with about 3 ½ minutes left.

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The Cardinals led 20-13 and most coaches would have run the ball after that, but Arians is not a member of that club.

He called a pass play. Quarterback Carson Palmer made a terrible decision and threw the ball directly to linebacker Gerald Hodges.

As usual, Arians had no regrets about his decision.

“We’re playing for points,” he said. “A seven-point lead isn’t enough. You’ve got to get up to at least 10. I knew they’d be all up in there biting the run. So it was chance to get into field-goal range.”

Palmer was sharp most of the game, completing 30 of 49 for 376 yards, but not in this instance.

“I’m just mad at myself for putting our defense in that situation and putting our team in that situation,” Palmer said. “I can’t do that.”

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The 49ers drove 57 yards and tied the game on a 4-yard touchdown run by Colin Kaepernick with 1:55 remaining.

San Francisco coach Chip Kelly considered a two-point conversion, but decided there was too much time left.

“I just wanted to give our team a shot,” Kelly said. “I didn’t want to lose it for them because I wanted to (be) a gunslinger and end up 20-19. But if we went up 21-20 at that point, there was still enough time on the clock for them to drive.”

Drive is what the Cardinals did, covering 69 yards in the final 1:51. Receiver Michael Floyd, who had a terrible first half of the season, redeemed himself a bit by making a leaping 26-yard reception that brought the Cardinals to their 41-yard line.

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The Cardinals picked their way into 49ers territory, and Catanzaro, who missed two game winners in the first half of the season, converted this time.

“I had no questions Cat would make the kick,” Arians said. “Never a doubt in mind we’d take that two-minute drill and go down and score.”

The Cardinals were favored by nearly two touchdowns, so beating the 49ers for a second time this season was expected. The manner in which they did it, at least offensively, was a surprise, however.

Running back David Johnson gained just 55 yards on 19 carries, a 2.9-yard average, against a team that had allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of its previous seven games.

The offensive line and tight ends rarely moved the 49ers back, and Johnson wasn’t able to create something out of nothing, which he has done before.

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“You could (say) they were trying not to let us run the ball at all,” Humphries said. “It’s like they had something for everything we were doing, as far as schematically. We’ve got to do a better job of adjusting, speaking for myself.”

The Cardinals dropped back to pass far more often (51 plays) than they handed off (23). Fitzgerald was targeted 18 times, caught 12, and gained 133 yards.

"You give me 18 targets in 2006 and I might have 200 yards," said Fitzgerald, in his 13th season.

Floyd emerged from his funk and had five catches for 101 yards.

“I like the resiliency of our team,” Arians said. “I think a team that was done would have folded. We’re 1-0 in the second half and they (victories) are hard to get in this league.”