49ers 23, Cardinals 20: Phil Dawson kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to lift visiting San Francisco over Arizona.

Colin Kaepernick completed 21-of-34 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns and Anquan Boldin racked up 149 receiving yards for the 49ers (12-4), who will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. LaMichael James returned a kickoff 41 yards after the Cardinals had tied it at 20 and Kaepernick completed two passes to put San Francisco into position for Dawson’s winning kick.

Jay Feely tied it with a 43-yard field goal with 29 seconds left but missed a pair of kicks in the contest for Arizona (10-6), which missed out on the first 11-win season for the franchise since moving from St. Louis in 1988. Carson Palmer completed 28-of-49 passes for 407 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The 49ers’ offense got off to a hot start with scores on each of its first three drives. They took advantage of Palmer’s interception to make it 10-0 on Kaepernick’s 4-yard TD pass to Boldin, and Kaepernick hit Boldin with a pair of long passes before firing a 3-yard TD pass to Vernon Davis after the Cardinals had missed a 37-yard field goal.

Palmer drove Arizona 88 yards and hit Jake Ballard with a 1-yard TD pass to cut it to 17-7 at the half. Feely connected from 49 yards but missed from 43 in the fourth quarter before Palmer found Andre Roberts on the left side for a tying 34-yard TD with 3:20 left, and the teams traded field goals again before Kaepernick got San Francisco into position for the winning kick.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The 49ers will visit No. 4 seed Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs next week. … Arizona’s chance at a playoff spot disappeared during the contest when New Orleans beat Tampa Bay. … San Francisco LB NaVorro Bowman recorded a sack and recovered a fumble to lead the defense.