49ers trying to heal before potential clincher

Braylon Edwards has a nagging knee injury and a bum shoulder. He insists that's the reason his numbers are down in his first season with San Francisco.

A key acquisition by the 49ers (9-2) heading into the season, Edwards has only 14 catches for 172 yards and no touchdowns in seven games for the NFC West leaders. He missed four games earlier in the year after undergoing surgery on his injured right knee, which still isn't fully healed.

"It's not about production, I've been hurt. I had knee surgery. Now I have a bad shoulder," Edwards said Monday, when the Niners returned to work after getting the weekend off. "I haven't ever had a season where I've been hurt, with the exception of my rookie year. This is all new to me. It's very frustrating, but I ask the team to bear with me. I can't really control being hurt - it's part of the game."

Edwards is among a handful of players who are beat up heading into a week in which they hope to clinch the division and the franchise's first playoff berth since 2002. He has been targeted seven times in the past two games and has only one reception, missing crucial chances in the end zone.

In Thursday night's 16-6 loss at Baltimore to coach Jim Harbaugh's big brother, John, a second-quarter miscommunication between Edwards and quarterback Alex Smith on a deep throw to the end zone resulted in an interception. The 49ers didn't score a touchdown for the first time all season.

• Wells, Peterson have record days in Cardinals win: Coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged the offense to get the running game going. Boy, did they.

No one in the long history of the Cardinals franchise has gained more yards in a game than Beanie Wells did in Sunday's 23-20 victory at St. Louis. His 228 yards in 27 attempts broke the franchise mark of 214 in 21 carries set by LeShon Johnson at New Orleans in 1996.

Then there's Patrick Peterson, who took a punt back 80 yards for a touchdown. That ties an NFL record with four punt returns for scores, and the phenomenal Arizona rookie still has five games to go. He shares the mark with Devin Hester of Chicago (2007), Rick Upchurch of Denver (1976) and Jack Christiansen (1951).

In a season where the Cardinals (4-7) have had little to cheer about, Sunday's performances have the team in a positive mood as it plays four of its last five at home, beginning next Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys come to town.

• Drew Brees and Saints 49, Giants 24: Drew Brees passed for 363 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score as host New Orleans (8-3) rolled past New York, extending the Giants' (6-5) losing skid to three games.

Tight end Jimmy Graham had five catches for 84 yards, including touchdowns of 5 and 29 yards. Brees' two other scoring strikes went to Lance Moore, who had five catches for 54 yards.