Owens Rests, but Garcia Still Shines

While Terrell Owens rested, Jeff Garcia put in a full day for the San Francisco 49ers in a game that meant nothing against a team headed nowhere.

Garcia completed 23 of 39 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and Garrison Hearst ran for a touchdown Saturday as the 49ers held on for a 17-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

“It was a difficult game to decide how to play, who to use for how long, and all the reasons why and why not,” 49er Coach Steve Mariucci said.

With the 49ers’ playoff position locked -- a home game against a wild-card team -- Owens took the day off because of a sore groin.

“He hadn’t practiced all week, and I want to freshen him up for the playoffs,” Mariucci said.

The NFC West champions (10-5) weathered two missed 42-yard field-goal attempts by Jeff Chandler, a lost fumble at the Arizona 17 and a late Cardinal rally led by quarterback Jake Plummer.

The 49ers came to Sun Devil Stadium for the first time since a Monday night game in 1999, when Steve Young went down with what turned out to be a career-ending concussion. Garcia stepped in and has been in charge ever since.

Plummer, in what might have been his last home game for Arizona, nearly engineered his 22nd fourth-quarter comeback.

After Renaldo Hill intercepted Garcia’s deflected pass at the San Francisco 33, Kevin Kasper caught his second touchdown pass of the game from six yards to cut the lead to 17-14 with 4:08 left.

But the 49ers got a first down at the Cardinals’ 33 at the two-minute warning, then ran out the clock.

Plummer, whose contract runs out after the season, completed 16 of 26 for 109 yards and two touchdowns. He had one pass intercepted. Plummer said he treated it like any other game and repeated his desire to re-sign with the Cardinals.