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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