49ers vs. Cardinals live blog

Posted By on October 7, 2018

San Francisco 49ers defensive back Richard Sherman warms up before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

SANTA CLARA — This is the live blog for the 49ers’ Week 5 game against the winless Arizona Cardinals. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.

12:51 Here is my pregame Periscope report:

12:52 Here are the 49ers’ inactives:

  1. WR Marquise Goodwin
  2. WR Dante Pettis
  3. CB Jimmie Ward
  4. OG Joshua Garnett
  5. DT Jullian Taylor
  6. OT Shon Coleman
  7. DL D.J. Jones

12:53 The following injured 49ers are active and starting:

  1. CB Richard Sherman
  2. SS Jaquiski Tartt
  3. FS Adrian Colber
  4. LT Joe Staley
  5. C Weston Richburg
  6. RT Mike McGlinchey
  7. RB Matt Breida

12:54 Here are the Cardinals inactives:

  1. DE Markus Golden
  2. DT Robert Nkemdiche
  3. QB Sam Bradford
  4. RB T.J. Logan
  5. OL Jeremy Vujnovich
  6. OL Korey Cunningham
  7. OL Blaine Clausell

1:23 The 49ers will receive the opening kickoff.

1:33 On second-and-goal from the five, C.J. Beathard completes a shovel pass to Matt Breida, who scores easily. The 49ers lead 6-0 after Robbie Gould misses the extra point. He never even kicked the ball.

1:34 The 49ers opening drive was brilliant. Kyle Shanahan called three screens — one to Pierre Garcon, and two to Kyle Juszczyk. Combined, those three screens gained 50 yards.

1:35 In addition to the five-yard touchdown catch, Breida had a 17-yard run during that drive.

1:38 Josh Rosen throws a 75-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk on first-and-10, and the Cardinals go one-and-out. Ahkello Witherspoon got burned in man-to-man coverage, and Adrian Colbert ran the wrong direction in centerfield. The Cardinals lead 7-6.

1:44 On second-and-11, Shanahan calls a play action pass, Beathard throws an accurate ball over the middle but Pierre Garcon tips it to free safety Tre Boston, which intercepts the pass and returns to the 49ers 43. That’s two major mistakes in the first quarter — one by Garcon and one by Adrian Colbert.

1:49 The Cardinals go three-and-out. Mike McCoy called a screen pass on third-and-7 and Christian Kirk dropped it. The Cardinals punt and down the ball at the 49ers five-yard line.

1:55 The 49ers hand the ball to Breida on the first two plays of the drive, and he gains 17 yards and four yards, respectively. Then, the 49ers take him out of the game and go backward. Beathard throws low and incomplete to Garcon, who falls and hurts his left shoulder. Then on third-and-6, Beathard takes a five-step drop from the shotgun, holds the ball instead of throwing it away and gets sacked for a 15-yard loss.

2:05 On first-and-15, Breida runs around the right end, cuts back, gets tackled and appears to injure his left leg. The injury looks serious. He’s still down.

2:07 Now, Breida is limping off the field.

2:08 Garcon is questionable to return with a left-shoulder injury.

2:13 On first-and-10 from the Cardinals 40, Raheem Mostert carries the ball for the first time and fumbles. Patrick Peterson recovers and returns the ball to the 49ers 18.

2:24 On third-and-9, Shanahan uses just a five-man protection, Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea blitzes and crushes Beathard as he releases an incomplete pass. That play failed because Shanahan used a five-man protection on third-and-long. Have to use a six-man protection in that situation.

2:29 The Cardinals go three-and-out after committing an illegal-pick penalty during a long catch and run by Christian Kirk.

2:38 On second-and-10 from the Cardinals 49, the 49ers commit an illegal-shift penalty, then punt three plays later. The 49ers already have committed five penalties.

2:42 Cardinals backup running back Chase Edmonds drops a first-down catch on third-and-3, and the Cardinals punt. Trent Taylor makes a fair catch at the 49ers 36.

2:52 On third-and-8, Shanahan calls a screen pass to Garcon, who gains just one yard. Bad call by Shanahan. That was a play you call on first-and-10, not third-and-8. Have to throw near or past the sticks.

3:o3 The Cardinals both their final drive of the second quarter, and the first half ends. They will receive the ball to start the second half.

3:16 On third-and-1, the Cardinals try to run at Buckner, and lose two yards. Such a dumb play call. Why not run at Cassius Marsh? McCoy is trying to win this game with 14 points.

3:23 On first-and-10 from the Cardinals 39, Chandler Jones beats Joe Staley around the edge, strips Beathard and the Cardinals recover.

3:25. Breida is out with a left-ankle injury. Cardinals guard Mike Iupati is questionable with a shoulder injury.

3:31 The Cardinals punt from the 49ers 39-yard line. Didn’t attempt a 57-yard field goal. The Cardinals think they can win this game with 14 points, and might be right.

3:46 Robbie Gould misses a 45-yard field goal attempt. He had made 33 field goals in a row before that miss.

3:53 On third-and-7 from the 49ers 44, McCoy calls a screen pass for Kirk, who gains two yards. McCoy didn’t even try to pick up the third down. He think the Cardinals can win with 14 points. He might be right.

3:54 The 49ers will start from their 17.

4:06 On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Beathard throws a touchdown pass to Trent Taylor. The 49ers go for two, and Beathard throws a quick screen to Garcon, but Chandler Jones knocks down the pass at the line of scrimmage. The 49ers trail 14-12 with 6:51 left.

4:08 The key play on that drive was a screen pass to Kittle, who ran for 45 yards. Screen passes have been available all game for the 49ers.

4:13 The Cardinals just took 48 seconds to go three-and-out. They’re handing this game to the 49ers. Will the 49ers take it from them?

4:15 On second-and-11, Haason Reddick blitzes and strips Beathard. Josh Bynes recovers the fumble and returns it for a touchdown. That was Beathard’s 46th drop back of the game. Bad things happen the more he drops back to pass.

4:23 On fourth-and-19, Beathard throws behind his intended receiver and gets picked. Beathard’s fourth turnover of the game. Why does Shanahan keep putting the ball in his hands. Who does Shanahan think Beathard is?

4:27 On first-and-goal from the 6, David Johnson powers into the end zone, and the Cardinals lead 28-12, despite gaining just 61 yards of total offense in the second half. Unreal.

4:38 On first-and-goal from the 1, Beathard sneaks into the end zone for a touchdown. The 49ers go for two. Beathard throws to Kittle, who drops the pass. The 49ers trail 28-18 with 1:29 left.

4:43 The 49ers lose. Stay tuned for my postgame report and my grades.

This article has 271 Comments

    1. CJ has that semi-stupid look that let us know he will always be a backup who just cannot win.

  3. Sometimes I feel like a pigeon. Peck, peck, peck. Type, type, type: By Sebingston Seagull the 3rd.

    October 6, 2018 at 1:03 pm
    I wish I was a pigeon, by Johnathan Sebingston Seagull:

    sebnynah says:
    September 23, 2018 at 7:30 pm
    Sometimes I choke on my verbal diarrhea.
    .
    Not a pretty sight I tell you.
    .
    Life is hard when you’re over 60 and have the mental capacity of a pigeon.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvuL5jyCHOw

    2. Cassie,
      D5 only shows up in a loss and at the rate our defense is playing he will unfortunately be here for a while.

  9. Nice drive. And a pass to score! Hope that will make Grant happy though I’m not quite sure whether he wants them to pass more or run more in the red zone. I guess it’s week to week! ;-)

    1. Shovel pass is in between a pass and a lateral hand off so should keep Grant happy on both counts.

  14. Now there’s good D. :( I think Rosen smoked a cigarette before he threw that ball!

  15. #FireSalehnow

    Who was the safety on that play…..that was just inexcusable….he has no idea where the ball was…..

  17. WOW….. I just said the other day that Saleh’s D would make Rosen look like Mahomes. You were supposed to prove me wrong Saleh :/

  18. Lynch knew he had no pass rush and no cb beyond the aged and wounded Sherm when he began OTA’s.

  24. Should have fired Saleh already, Coach… Replace him with Rashard, Fox or even Del Freakin’ Rio.

  32. Two games in a row where receviers can’t catch the ball when it hits them in the hands!
    This team makes mental errors over and over. Unbelievable.

  34. Wow, Beathard! Throw the f’ing ball you idiot, way to screw up a play big time. Gotta love a QB that just watches the guy coming right at them and refuses to throw the ball away.

  36. When u look at the inactive and the actives that are hurt but playing, what DON’T u see? U don’t see anyone from the front 7. IMO, that is the area that has not been producing. There are 4 first round picks, some hand picked players picked by this staff, and a few young studs. And last week they had only 1 sack, only 4 qb hits, allowed a 100 yard rusher, and missed more then a few tackles. Our number 2 qb threw the ball well and played good enough to win the game, our number 2 rb is one of the league leaders in rushing, and all behind a beat up offensive line. And our beat up secondary had a pick-6. If the front 7 can do their job, this team can still be more then competitive. But if they keep missing tackles and not getting no pressure on the qb, the team will be in these close games that they will have a lot of trouble winning.

  37. More missed tackles, coverage lacking (understatement) and Saleh still patting players on the back. Woohoo.

  39. So far, according to nfl.com, Josh Rosen is 2 for 6, 80 yrds (and the TD)…

    2. I believe he’s available. Imagine the hair-on-fire screaming if he was to come back…

  44. What they need to do is stop unforced errors, move the pocket, throw in a flee flicker, stop unforced errors, use slants and screens, manage the clock, and stop unforced errors. Of course poach any intel they can from anyone affiliated with the Cardinals, even if they have to hire Kurt Warner at halftime. Oh, and stop unforced errors.

    2. Yup, they did commit unforced errors multiple times. They did move the pocket. Those screens were very effective. Clock management? They just wasted another time out. smh. They should have realized that Kirk was their go-to-guy, any intel would have told them that, but Saleh let them get a momentum changer so quickly. Yup, they sure need to stop those false start penalties.

  46. One if these weeks this team won’t be able to field a complete team. We will end up with a DB playing WR, or some such nonsense.

    1. It’s happened in the past… Lot’s of strange history over the decades of NFL play.

  49. Niners are snake bite. I can’t remember seeing a team with as many injuries as they have had. If this keeps up they will be bringing people in off the street soon.
    The mental errors are driving me nuts!

  54. A standing, steady chorus of angry booing at the end of the half would be cool….

  56. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Cardinals baby, whooo. Man…I am so happy. We are in great position for a top 5 draft and I really hope we use that for a QB.

    1. You really need look at what is being said about the position before you spout off something as unintelligent as this. The crop of QB prospects for the 2019 draft is considered to be very bad.

  57. This is an all-time first. Guys celebrating in the endzone without scoring a touch down. Is it just me or is football becoming a circus played by a handful of clowns?

  59. God this reminds me a lot of 1973 to 1979, especially ‘75 to 78. Total ineptness. Tough to watch. Seb? You remember! Any similarities? Does Joe Thomas come to mind? Remember the t-shirt with the ax with blood dripping off of it and the words “Blame Joe Thomas”! Who gets the blame for this mess? Lots to go around!

    5. Juan, it is not as bad a you make it out to be. Niners are only down by 8 points. They can easily come back if only they stop shooting themselves in the foot.
      .
      I like the effort, but they just have to play smarter.
      .
      GO NINERS !!!!!!

      1. I guess Cassie mad that JUDGE KAVANAUGH got confirmed. Don’t worry, Cassie, the moment Jed York sells teh 49ers, MAYBE the Democrats can get back up off the floor.

        1. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries…

  61. This is the first game I would say the 49ers are the more talented team. Sadly they are playing with no discipline and killing themselves.

  62. This is almost unwatchable. Every time the 49ers have a positive play they either commit a turnover, get an injury, or have a penalty. Inexcusable. It shows a complete lack of discipline, toughness, and mental focus. I’m seriously questioning Lynch’s ability to evaluate talent.

      1. Of course he should, but he won’t because of his ego. Look at this sad excuse for a stadium in built in freakin’ Santa Clara. Meanwhile, the Warriors are opening the Chase Center right next to AT&T. York doesn’t keep the old guard (be it Carmen Policy, Steve Young, etc) close to the team. His people are a bunch of empty suits.

  64. What is the common thread since they left Candlestick?
    Most injured team in football. They should call the team The SF Next Men Up.
    This is too much to overcome. I’m done.

  66. Sad. Getting handled with ease by an 0-4 team and a division rival at that… Niners might end up with the 1st overall pick in the draft the way these players are folding.

        1. Seriously dude, Jimmy G is a backup, Beathard is like the high school QB, Mullens is your pop warner. You sign Jimmy G, he promptly got injures. Look, MidWest, here it is:

          Draft a QB
          Jimmy G can start for 3 years
          Replace Jimmy G with drafted QB
          During the course, you then get an Oline, some WRs, build the offense.
          I said the same thing for Alex Smith and we FAILED to get anything for him.

  67. Starting to look like the injuries have completely broken this offense. The defense is still trying, oops, spoke to soon.

    1. SF 49ers are like the SF Giants in the old Candlestick days:
      Come on Niners, hang in there.

      Wow, 3rd quarter started in the Raiders game. This game is SLOW.

  69. That sideline coaches objection was a jock. lol. He tried to trip him. What punt returner is going to do that while fielding a punt.

  71. 49ers RB’s– they lost the Jet- then the Cheetah so now their stuck with Morris the Cat.

  72. A real GM would have signed or drafted a better QB than this nonsense I am watching……

    How the fck is this guy playing qb for us…

  73. Niners just don’t have the talent this year. AZ and the Niners will battle for the bottom slot in the conference.

  77. preparation is the first step to sucess,and it looks like we’re not prepared..in my mind sale does not watch film team trends,nor does he tries to put pressure on a rookie qb…he has to go!!!!!!!

  79. Hey Grant, it’s obvious front office really blew it this past offseason, how long before they get called out on it?

    1. I hope Jed York sells teh 49ers is my call. NFL needs to make him sell the team. They never should’ve given Jimmy all that money, or McKinnon either.

    2. There may be an aerial banner towing service just waiting for the call to tow banners across Santa Clara skies… Sorta worked a few years ago…

  80. If Arizona was up 31 to 6, any hope and chance Fox brings us a BETTER regional game, like the Rams and Seahawk game? I hate my region.

  81. First drive, screens all over the place and go right down the field then don’t go back to it until 3rd and 8 on the last drive of the half?

  82. I’m stuck at a basketball camp with the kids. Wow – I thought this game would be easy. Is this the beginning of ‘the process’?

  83. Seems the offense went flat after the Mostert fumble. Beathard needs to stretch the field once in a while or the run, screen and short passing game isn’t going to work.

  85. Saddest part about the first half is that the Cards points all came from 49ers errors once again. Big time blown assignment by Colbert (honestly, what was he thinking with that angle?) and fumble by Mostert. I recall getting ridiculed during the offseason when I said the team still needed a FS, because apparently Colbert was already an all pro calibre player…

    And does anyone still think the offense doesn’t miss JG?

  87. I feel like we’re watching the two worst teams in the league, raiders not far behind. Should not have paid the fullback all that money, should have signed a veteran back up QB, Sherman a waste, poor draft picks, need a veteran GM to rebuild this team !

  88. Instead of a 2 yard pass on third down, CJB should have executed the Third Down Bomb. He should have heaved the ball to the 5 yard line. It could be caught, it could draw a penalty flag, or it could fall incomplete. Even if intercepted, the ball would wind up on the 5 yard line, if they tackled properly.
    .
    That would be going bold. 2 yards and a punt is timid.

  89. Arizona should’ve stuck with the 5 wideouts, running D Johnson was STUPID coaching! Probably just gave the 49ers the EFFING game.

  91. CJ just gave the ball to Arizona, destroying the drive. Wow, Shanahan looks TICKED Off. Is he actually mad?

  97. Aside from Witherspoon and Colbert getting toasted on the TD they’ve played much better against the worst offense in the league. Gotta start somewhere I guess.

  100. Sometimes I just don’t get the play calling….

    Az is tired …youve been running well….on 2nd down why not get them on a play action play …..instead of just running the same play you just ran on 1st dwn

    Then on 3rd dwn….you call a 5yrd slant when you need more against a zone defense….

  105. These receivers are terrible, so many passes bouncing up high off their hands. RIP Gould’s streak.

  112. I agree though Seb, as bad as the Niners are, Arizona is worse except for one long bomb. Game still within reach but horrid football by both teams.

    2. True, Arizona is clearly a worse team, but it still comes down to critical mistakes and poor execution. The 49ers are dominating on the ground, through the air, and TOP, and are still losing this game.

      But do I care? No. You can’t get to the postseason riding your 2nd string talent. And, BTW, Chandler Jones is single handedly keeping the cardinals in this game today. Kinda funny what a difference maker on the edge can do for a defense.

      Therefore, give me 2 wins this season and Nick Bosa, all day long.

      And it’s time to look for a new backup QB!

      1. And, thanks to an unprecedented slew of injuries at critical positions, I don’t think the 49ers ever had a chance to get things going this season.

        What does it mean for next season? Not a damn thing as far as I am concerned, other than a better draft position, and a chance to bolster what will hopefully be a decent 2019 FA period with a much more favorable draft position.

        CJ Beathard is you classic backup QB who could potentially do his job under ideal circumstances. And I hate to say it but, that’s not what you are hoping to get out of a 3rd round pick. What Beathard is not (unlike Garoppolo) is a QB who is capable of winning games without a healthy supporting cast.

        I’d say it’s time to fire Saleh, but to be honest, I cannot say say for certain what this team would be with a healthy garoppolo, McKinnon, Goodwin, Breida, Staley, Tartt, Colbert, and all of the other injury setbacks this years team has experienced. And that’s a shame because, in year 2 of a complete rebuild, you’d like to be able to at least evaluate where the team is at in terms of development.

        Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait till next season and hope the injury bug levels out in order to get a feel for where this team truly is and where they could be heading! One thing is for certain. IF they don’t improve there pass rush during the offseason, everything else is meaningless.

  124. Those were some awful redzone plays. That 2 point conversion was just plain embarassing in design. Beginning to agree with Grant that Shanahan is bad in the redzone.

  126. Brady does that play a little better. Field goal can still win it. If this was a bowl game it would be called “The Toilet Bowl”. But hey, in the NFL a win is a win.

    1. The college game…

      It’s the weak level of play of most NFL teams–and the over-the-top hoopla that surrounds the league–that’s driven me to become more of a fan of college football. It’s just more fun to watch.

    2. Hah, offensive play calling, defensive mistakes, 5 turnovers (highlighted by that classic, 4th string RB’s fumble on his first run of the season), and a backup QB who’s shaky pocket awareness still holds him back … if ever there was a clearer case of an unprecedented number of key injuries to key personnel upending what many experts (including myself) expected to be a promising season, well …. I’ve never seen it in my 39 years as a diehard NFL football fan and 49ERS Faithful.

      Whether you believe in destiny or not … we all know that even the best teams in the NFL need a little luck along the way to every great season. There isn’t a person on this planet who can convince me that this 2018 version of the 49ers wasn’t snuffed out in its infancy due to circumstances well beyond Kyle’s control! They were dealt with 5 season’s worth of bad luck, all crammed into the span of the first 6.5 weeks of their 2018 campaign.

      Kyle’s team NEVER HAD A CHANCE this season. It all started with the absolutely devastating Mckinnon injury, compounded by the loss of Goodwin during the first half of opening day, followed by one key injury after another, which all seemed to culminate with the breaking point ….Garoppolo’s devastating non-contact ACL tear.

      It’s time for 49ers Faithful to accept the hand they were dealt this season, and rally around the biggest positive coming out of all of this bad luck …… the increasingly likelihood that a top 3 pick could land that rare edge rushing phenom, and perhaps even 2 instant impact edge rushers in the 2019 draft. And if they can find a legitimate redzone weapon, preferably a big, strong WR, or towering TE, and add some talent to the backend of this defense, 2019 is now setting up to be the season the 49ers officially return to postseason relevancy for the long haul.

      And i’m actually of the mindset that the curse of 2018, and all of the bad luck, may end up being the difference between the 49ers winning a their 6th Lombardi Trophy in the next couple years, or simply being another playoff team incapable of becoming a legitimate Super Bowl threat!

      Cheers!!!!!!

  137. What a beautiful day, another loss for our 49ers. as Triple H and Shawn Michaels would say:

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahahaaha. Ahhhhhhhh hahahahahaa!

    Draft a Qb. Sell the team. Draft a QB, sell the team. Draft a Qb, sell the team!

  138. Beth lives to be smashed in the backfield. We have no OL as we knew coming into the season but CJ is just horrible.

  140. CJ has NOT developed in any way Kyle. He is still slow, inaccurate, and unable to unload. He just lacks judgment.

    1. CJB was coached to take 5 step drops. That is obtuse. He needed to get rid of the ball quicker, and the Niner coaches did not need to put him into positions to fail.
      .
      That said, the Niners could have won with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter. No team could succeed with so many turnovers.

    1. “tell me ck7 isn’t worth a look..tell me why and why not..”

      He’s not; too skittish; not good enough arm and legs to make up for no brain.

      rather try Mullens.

      1. stop with ck7. He had plenty of chances and sucked too. We don’t need to go sideways or backwards.

  144. 4th and 19, PUNT THE EFFING BALL STUPID! Rather have you lose by PUNTING the ball instead of throwing the EFFING pick. Way to EFFING GO Beat JERK! 5 turnovers, wow!

  145. Nothing better than losing a winnable game by beating yourself.

    As Better Rivals say, the elegant tank is BACK!

    1. Giants and Raiders will take, so it’s either Bosa, Oliver or whatever overrated Stanford player comes out.

  150. 4:15

    Raiders ought to sue Niners for copyright infringement, “Refusing to Win the Game.”

    2. At least the 49ers have plenty of valid excuses. The Raiders …. now that’s the definition of a poorly run organization, from top to bottom.

      Who’s got it better than us …. NOT THE RAIDERS, that’s for darn sure.

  151. No way #76, NO EFFING WAY. Reid disgraced himself today on the Panthers, don’t need ANOTHER DISGRACE on the 49ers! 49ers need all the fans they can get, you bring back that JERKOFF< you're playing in front of an EMPTY STADIUM!

  152. Kyle and the silly Lynch are under fire. Bad combo. We needed a great talent evaluator and got Lynch instead.

    1. Sorry to disagree with you, Allie.
      .
      JL had assembled a competitive team. Too bad they lost their RB before the season, and losing JG cannot be downplayed.
      .
      They could have won with better coaching. Blame KS for this loss.

    2. Absolute nonsense and pure hyperbole allie. This team was well on it’s way to a quick turnaround, and a surprisingly competitive 2018 season before injuries absolutely derailed this season. Case in point: Their 4th string RB being forced into action thanks to the loss of their 2nd best RB (after the loss of their best RB and most important FA signing), and then promptly fumbling the football in what was a critical turnover, on his very first carry of the season,

      If you don’t like the 49ers current regime, I suggest you find another team to root for for the next few years because those 2 aren’t going anywhere.

      That said, even though the defense appeared better today, they were playing against the league’s worst offense, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Saleh in the unemployment line sometime in the near future. In fact, I expect him to take the fall ahead of week 17. Even though the 49ers coaches and FO can rightly point to injuries as the defining story of 2018, Saleh’ scheme hasn’t meshed with the personnel. I think a change at DC is warranted, regardless of the injuries. Even though the defense has suffered it’s share of injuries, they haven’t been anywhere near the kind of earth shattering injuries the offense has suffered, so given that, it’s time to start brainstorming for Salah’s replacement!

    1. For the fan, first the pain and suffering, then thoughtfulness, and finally enlightenment

  155. Clearly the 49ers GAVE UP the game, let the 0 for Cleveland Browns like Arizona team win their game. Ironic that next year, the 49ers get Cleveland too.

    1. How about that … the Browns, playing with a relatively healthy roster, have a better record than a 49ers team absolutely decimated with injuries?

      I mean, who would have thought that a football team might actually play significantly worse with backup players at almost every offensive skill position (and in some cases backups to the backups, like Mostert), combined with number of key 1st string players who have managed to play DESPITE significant injuries of their own (Garcon, McGlinchey, Staley & Richburg all hobbled by injuries), would have a hard time playing cohesive football without committing excessive penalties & turnovers?

      IN today’s NFL, it’s often little things that separate the good teams from the bad ones, so why would anyone be surprised that the 49ers are playing poor football, and have regressed, when we are talking about an unprecedented number of injuries to KEY personnel? The answer: It shouldn’t surprise anybody, except for those fans who are either ill-informed, jaded, in denial, or all of the above!

      I suggest that every 49ers fan who thinks this unprecedented number of key injuries isn’t just a big story, but actually THE story of 2018, GET REAL!! This team is simply cursed this season and no amount of coaching, or fan outrage, is going to change that fact.

  157. Beat-Hard combined with this defense could very well result in the first overall pick. Decisions, decisions…

  158. So Arizona scores 28 by making 1 good offensive play in the game. Kyle and John, congratulations, you have cooked up quite the poo stew.

  160. Cardinals game plan today: Let the 49ers beat themselves.

    49ers game plan today: Oblige.

      1. This truly was an embarrassing defeat. To dominate the TOP, 1st downs, etc like they did and still lose is horrendous. It will be easy to point to the stats and think they weren’t that bad, and I can see now some apologists will try and suggest they were just unlucky and should have won the game. Yes, they flippin’ should have, but they weren’t unlucky to lose. The statistical dominance does not translate into a good game. The offense was awful. Way too many back breaking bad plays. They gave the game away.

        Colbert’s misread on the Cards opening play and the botched FG were also telling mistakes – it wasn’t just the offense that gave this game away. Though the D did play pretty well for the most part.

        1. FYI Scooter, a team loses over 99% of the time when they commit a 0/5 turnover ratio. And it’s a fact that, the more offensive injuries you have to key personnel, the more likely you are to lose the battle of turnovers. Mostert was a prime example of that today.

          Within the above paragraph you will find the answer Scooter. It’s really quite simple. The increasingly injury depleted roster that 49ers have been fielding on a weekly basis isn’t good enough to win in the NFL. Mistakes, be it penalties, drops, and turnovers tend to happen far more often with inexperienced, 2nd and 3rd string players, and/or experienced players who may be on the filed, but nursing significant injuries.

          Likewise, backup and injured defensive players tend to commit more mistakes, mentally and physically. I’ll admit, I’m not yet sold on the marriage of Saleh, and the 49ers defensive personnel. In terms of the defense, I think their struggles go beyond injuries in some respect.

          That’s the story of these 2018 49ers. It starts and ends there, and everything else is simply noise pollution!

  161. Not only are we the worst team in football, we are the worst coached and managed team in football. No discipline, devoid of talent in almost every key area. We have handful of players that could start for another team. BTW, Solomon Thomas is not one of them. What a sh*tty pick that guy was. Does anyone good come out of Stanford? Other than Luck. All system guys.

    We Had a chance to seriously upgrade this roster in FA and chose not to. Lynch said, we have the all horses here already. No, we did not. Huge talent gap between us and the rest of the league.

    Trent Brown is now one of the top LT in the NFL. We took McGlinchey because we couldn’t’ motivate Brown to play. He didn’t fit our scheme, and McGlinchey does. Like he’s a an upgrade? Pats stole from us. We could have taken a player we really needed, like Derwin James.

    When is this nightmare going to finally end!!!

  165. When Breida was there, the offense was humming.
    It’s gotta be said though….Shanahan is not very good with game time adjustments.

  167. There really wasn’t anything more to say (substantively add) after JH’s comment. That summed it up as elegantly as one could.

  168. So how about it, is the NFL going to flex the 49ers game on October 9? I saw they better if they lose to Arizona like that!

  169. Niners are now the worst team in the NFL. At least the Browns have an up and coming QB.

  170. We need to just keep on doing the same things and then expect different results. Wait.

  171. Niners are bad team , QB that holds onto the ball too long and fumbles it away, horrible receivers, defense that is clueless, bad coaching and give me a break 5 turnover, this is the bad news bears in a football version.

      2. Razor I love ya, but Solomon Thomas is so stinky he makes my head explode, I do not think we need to get rid of Shanahan and lynch but the scouting office or whoever though an undersize peewee dl in the league makes me angry! We could of had mamoes or someone that is a cornerstone. You can not miss on those players , bosa needs to be a sure thing.

      3. Or Oliver. Oliver will end up
        Wing dominating at his position than Bosa, but DE is more of a position of need for us. That’s said, we won’t pass on Oliver if Bosa is gone.

  173. It’s easy to blame it on the coach. Though he has some stake in the loss, the last time I looked, he was on the sidelines and the players were on the field playing the game. This loss is on the players, pure and simple. I guarantee not one player would blame Kyle. Media (GC) on the other hand, and some fans, he’s an easy target. At what point are the players held responsible? I say now.

    1. Sorry, Juan, the HC is blamed for losses, just like he gets credit for wins.
      .
      KS should have coached his player to play more disciplined.
      .
      KS should have stressed ball security.
      .
      KS should have designed plays that accentuates a player’s strengths. 5 step drops just remind me of the second half of that SB.
      .
      KS should not throw his players under the bus. He needs to coach them so they do not beat themselves.

  174. bottom dollar says CJB was instructed not to run like last week. I don’t even think he attempted to run at all.

  175. Other than the fact the players can’t tackle, catch, block, cover, rush, run or kick, they’re not bad.

  176. While I am devastated by this loss, unlike the Niner haters who are rejoicing, I do have things to be thankful for.
    .
    Tim Ryan emphasized that the Niners could win, by not beating themselves. He stressed reducing the unforced errors. After the game, he lamented all the self inflicted wounds.
    .
    He thought that the Niners should do things like screens and swing passes to the RBs. CJB needed to get rid of the ball quickly, into the hands of his playmakers. He mentioned mobile pockets, and I was heartened to see CJB use his mobility to buy time in order to make throws. Ryan even mentioned attacking the edges.
    .
    I was glad to see all those 4 receiver sets, so they could not stack the box. I do not know why they dialed up 5 step drops in the second half, when the 3 step drops were so effective in the first half.
    .
    Grant’s football acumen was confirmed when the Niners marched down the field running the ball, and it looked like they would win in the 4th quarter before the wheels fell off. Sure wish the Niners had designated and practiced a running play that would gain at least 2 yards. Then, maybe Jones would not have been able to bat down that 2 point play.
    .
    I warned that the Niners could lose, by beating themselves, and now we know who wanted this win more.

  177. They put the Arizona team on the sunnyside of the field on a warm day. They felt right at home!

    1. The Cardinals play inside under a retractable roof that is closed when it’s hot. I doubt that the walk from the air conditioned bus to the locker room has any effect on the players also. Think before you post.

  178. Seb, with all due respect, is that the same Tim Ryan that said Kaep was not really very good, going into detail and fact about all of his inefficiencies. You know, the guy you called a “hack” when I brought that to your attention? Is it the same guy your quoting now as being correct in his assessment of today’s game because you agree with him? Just wondering. Kyle called a good game. They had every opportunity to win the game. Five turnovers to none lost the game. Have a great evening.

    1. Juan, sure, Ryan is a company man and is toeing the company line about Kaep. I will not go into every way I disagree with him, because you have heard it all before.
      .
      However, when he details almost exactly what I wrote, I get to point that out. Ryan and I saw key points that needed to be accomplished in order to win. Those schemes may be obvious to some, but it does not make them any less important.
      .
      I agree, we can ALL see what 5 turnovers will do to a team. Niners dominated in almost every other stat, but those 5 turnovers were too hard to overcome.
      .
      Niners played hard, but lost. I will just absorb this loss, and hope for improvement.
      .
      Good evening.

Comments are closed.