SAN FRANCISCO — This is the live blog for the first quarter of the 49ers Week 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals. I’ll update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.
1:21 Offensive line coach Mike Solari’s daughter, Stephanie Solari, just sang the national anthem.
1:23 The 49ers win the toss and defer the possession to the Cardinals. Let’s see if the Cards try to run right down the 49ers’ vulnerable run defense on the first series.
1:25 Stephens-Howling returns Akers’ kickoff to the Cards’ 22 yard line.
1:26 The Cardinals come out in three wide receivers, and Hoyer completes a pass to Michael Floyd for seven yards. Culliver was beaten.
1:27 Floyd drops a pass on second down. Third and three.
1:27 Hoyer throws to Floyd in the slot and Perrish Cox knocks the pass away. Good play by Cox. The Cards will punt.
1:28 Ted Ginn Jr. lets the ball bounce at the 20 yard line and it bounces back to the one-yard line before the Cards down it. Terrible decision by Ginn. He should have made a fair catch at the 20.
1:29 Bruce Miller gains a yard on first down.
1:29 Gore gains a yard on second down. Third and eight from the SF 3 yard line.
1:30 Gore runs a draw up the middle for seven yards. Close, but not close enough. Both offenses start the game three-and-out. Andy Lee will punt from the 49ers end zone.
1:31 Patrick Peterson returns the punt seven yards to the Cards’ 49 yard line.
1:32 The Cardinals threw three times to Michael Floyd on their first series. They should try running or throwing to their other wide receiver. What’s his name?
1:33 William Powell runs right past Ricky Jean Francois and gains nine yards on first down.
1:34 The Cards follow that with a false start. Second and six from the SF 47.
1:34 Donte Whitner drops an interception on second down. Why didn’t the Cardinals run on that play?
1:35 Hoyer scrambles for six yards and a first down. First and 10 at the SF 41.
1:36 Powell runs up the middle for three. Second and seven from the 38.
1:36 Andre Roberts runs an end around and Patrick Willis tackles him for a two-yard loss. Third and nine.
1:37 Hoyer throws over Floyd’s head on third down. The Cardinals have no chance to win this game if they don’t run the ball up the middle. They’ve run 10 plays and rushed up the middle only twice. They punt. Ginn makes the fair catch at the SF 12.
1:39 Randy Moss and Vernon Davis are on the field to start the Niners’ second drive.
1:40 Gore runs up the middle for one yard. Second and nine.
1:40 Kaepernick play fakes, rolls right, looks for Celek crossing deep but he’s covered, so Kaepernick throws it away. Third and nine.
1:41 Crabtree is flagged for false start. Third and 14 from the SF 8.
1:41 Kaepernick throws to Crabtree, Peterson tips it and Daryl Washington drops the interception. Dangerous pass. Lee will punt from the end zone again.
1:42 The punt lands at the Cards’ 47. The Cards look awful, but the 49ers don’t look any better. The Cards are actually winning the battle of field position early on.
1:45 Hoyer completes a seven-yard pass to Fitzgerald on first down.
1:45 And then Hoyer completes a 15-yard pass to Floyd on a slant for a first down. Tarell Brown was beaten.
1:46 And then Hoyer completes a 12-yard pass to Roberts. Just like that, it’s first and 10 at the SF 19. The 49ers have no pass rush without Justin Smith.
1:47 Cardinals RG Pat McQuistan is hurt. He walks off the field under his own power.
1:48 Powell runs up the middle for two yards.
1:49 Ahmad Brooks gets pressure and Hoyer throws the ball out of bounds. Third and eight from the 17.
1:50 Hoyer throws a pass at Fitzgerald’s feet and Tarell Brown almost picks it off.
1:50 Feely makes the 35-yard field goal. 3-0 Cards with 5:33 left in the first quarter.
1:51 The Cards have three first downs and the 49ers have none.
1:51 It’s surprising that the Cardinals are passing more than running. It’s almost like they didn’t watch the Seahawks-49ers game tape from last week. Still, their passing game is somewhat working.
1:53 LaMichael James returns the kickoff 33 yards to the SF 31 yard line.
1:54 On first down, Gore runs around the right end and gains nothing.
1:54 Kaepernick throws it behind Vernon Davis in the flat and he gets flattened. That’s why you sit a player coming off a head injury. Third and five.
1:55 Kaepernick throws a perfect pass to A.J. Jenkins on a short crossing route, and he drops it. That should have been a first down. Andy Lee punts, and Peterson returns it to the AZ 13.
1:56 Powell runs left and gains six yards. Second and four.
1:57 Hoyer throws deep to Floyd, who easily catches it in front of Culliver. Gain of 34 yards. First and 10 at the SF 47.
1:58 Powell runs left for a nine-yard gain. Second and one at the SF 38.
1:58 Powell runs up the middle and gains 10 yards. First and 10 at the 28.
1:59 Powell runs up the middle for one yard.
1:59 Hoyer completes a 12-yard pass to Jim Dray. First and 10 at the SF 15.
2:00 Powell loses three yards on first down. That’s the end of the first quarter.
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Let’s kick some butts…
Lets go BOYZ!!!!
Here we go!
Get the record Aldon!
Vulnerable rush defense not so vulnerable if you don’t rush at them ;)
ginn….
Jimmy Raye!!!!!
3-0 Vikes!
3-0 Vikes!
woo-hooo!
I realize it’s a position that we again showed not enough depth at but at this point Ginn is nothing but a liability and needs to be released as soon as the time is appropriate.
I’d be very surprised if he isn’t cut immediately into the off-season. He’s regressed, and is not a pass receiver on this team.
I thought he would have an impact on this season, he hasn’t done anything. Like you said, he has regressed.
3-0 Minnesota
they’re running at RF!!!
That was pick 6
That burst by Wills.
Our defense worries me without Justin Smith…
It’s going to be hard for AS today against their back ups…smh
Run, run, run, punt
We passed so well against these guys last time
Jimmy Raye has made a come back
Our O is pathetic!
Wow MC saved that one
Fcuk Greg Roman. His play calling sucks.
G RO is the problem people. I’ve been saying it all year!!! He sucks!!! He’s no the mad scientist they call him.
I’ve said that along with GC but now they say it collaborative
Crabtree offsides! What the hell?
Uh-oh. Playing down to the competition yet again?
Great first two possessions. Pull your head out of your ass Roman/Kaep
I don’t like that CK runs so far backwards…that never results in a play. I’m getting the feeling the Brady game might have been unrepresentative…too soon probably.
No pass rush
nope!!
Big run by Peterson. Theyre ready to score. Too bad we aint doing our part!
Talk about needing a bye sooooooooo bad!!!! Too many keys positions are old guys. G Ro needs to wake up fast!!
10-0 vikes!
Peterson’s doing his thing in Minny….not that it will matter if the 49ers don’t smarten up!
10-0 Minnesota.
good but we need to play too.
line up AS on the left side all day!!! next to Ray Mac
Vikes up by 10!
We’d better do our part :/
Lets go rib!
I’m going, Crab! Waiting for the Niners to catch up to me!
I’m feeling very confident about our chances in the playoffs if we keep playing like this… Bye week or not
This drive can set the tone for the rest of the game. Get your $hit together GR/ Niner offense
We need a spark, maybe provided by LMJ
Ugly start so far. The offense looks completely useless. If I didn’t know better I’d think Alex was back at quarterback.
You mean going 18/19? Terrible pass to Davis there btw.
for about 235 and 3 tds!
And getting benched. Again.
Can we defer the 2nd half kickoff too?
Why don’t we run more slants? It seems every team runs slants but we don’t run any
So far, Arizona has won the field position battle. That has to change.
There you go.
Kaep is going to kill Vernon yet.
That was no beauty of a pass but why is Vernon even jumping so high to grab that? He needs to get clocked a few more times and then he’ll learn to catch the ball in stride and not try to pole vault into every catch.
Vernon does have hoppy feet, but that pass was the very opposite of “in stride”
Yeah no I agree on the bad pass. I just think in general he needs to stop the high flying crap on regular catches
Woohoo, 1st completion
come on Jenkins!!
Jenkins sucks
Now we know why Jenkins hasn’t been playing
Just one pass. JR dropped a few his rookie year.
Lets give him 7 years before we declare him a bust, ok?
Lets rehire Nolan, Sing, Raye et al for those 7 years too, ok?
I over reacted there, but AJ needs to show up today
Jenkins heard foot steps! Catch the ball!
I dont understand why the run game has fallen off the cliff for the niners- the offensive line isnt getting as much penetration.
This offense is looking flat. I wish Roman would integrate more designed QB runs. The offense would work much easier.
Out of sync but Vikes are helping
Atta boy Hofe! Lol
They’re getting good positive yards running at RJF
move soap to DE and rj to nose!!
The play calling so far on offense has been horrendous… did we rehire Jimmy Raye???
Vikings are holding up their end. C’mon Niners!!
our d is weak!!! RJF sucks fat balls
what happened to this team? So pathetic
Who is Powell?
Making him look like All Pro
William Powell.
The not so thin man?
and the other thing- gore is looking slow- why not use James and Dixon a bit more.
It is criminal that James isnt a HUGE part of this offense.
Offense is playing cautiously.
Cards are playing aggressively.
This looks like a long day.
Can someone remind me which team finished the season under .500 and which is playing for a first round bye because I cant tell at the moment?
bs!!!!!!!
Wow were getting worse every week!
Colin Powell?
Apparently Justin Smith is the League MVP because this team would be under .500 without him.
Vikes going in for another score.
This is not going well!
Zero pass rush. Hoyer was on the street 3 weeks ago and the 49ers are making him look like an All Pro.
Get well soon Justin Smith.
I’ll take a 7-6 victory right now.
The Niners can barely play defense without Justin, but why can’t we play offense?
The game plan is once again to play not to lose.
No creativity like before in the run game, with shifts that kept defenses guessing. No spark, drops and missed FGs are hurting
Woo-hoo. 1st 1st down. Baby steps.
Anyone seen a diamond formation today?
LMJ!!!
We’re supposed to be the deepest team in the league. Losing JS seems to have had a tremendous impact
You know how CK has generally had a certain look of confidence up until that Seattle game? Well he’s lost it since then. He doesn’t have that body language today.
Dick John-Frank needs to step up big now.
Wow. If Akers is on the roster next week I’ll be surprised. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kicker collapse like this.
High school kids can make a 44 yard field goal. Why is this guy still on the team?