49ers embarrassing home loss to Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals QB2 Colt McCoy (12) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2021.11.07 – The Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals led by QB2 Colt McCoy defeated Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers 31-17 at Levi’s stadium on Sunday.
Any encouragement the 49ers might have gained from last week’s win at Chicago was wiped out in a hurry against a short-handed Arizona team missing most of its top play-makers.
Now, the Niners win less in four home games, with a season that began with high expectations is spiraling out of control.
“It’s pretty embarrassing,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “It’s unacceptable for sure. This is one of those that you have to move past quick, because it was embarrassing just defensively what we put on tape. It’s something you want to get that taste out of your mouth and get right back to work.
The 49ers (3-5) made plenty of errors on Sunday that proved to be far too much to overcome, even against a team missing Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green.
The Niners lost a pair of fumbles after big gains in the first half, were repeatedly gashed on defense and fell into a big hole they couldn’t get out of as they lost for the fifth time in six games to fall 4 1/2 games behind the Cardinals in the NFC West.
“It’s tough when you turn the ball over twice early on when you’re moving the ball after explosive plays,” tight end George Kittle said. “That kind of just kills the team and doesn’t help our defense out at all. We started with a couple of three-and-outs. That’s tough for (the defense). It’s a lot of ball early. As an offense, we have to execute better. We have to take care of the football.”
2021.11.07 – (SF 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals) NFL Video Highlights
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) runs past the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2021.11.07 – (SF 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals) NFL Video Highlights
Kittle, in his first game back from a calf injury, lost a fumble on the second drive of the game. Brandon Aiyuk lost another two drives later and the Niners fell behind 17-0 in the second quarter.
Kittle caught a TD pass from Garoppolo late in the first half to give San Francisco some life, but that was quickly extinguished when James Conner caught a short pass in space from Colt McCoy and raced 45 yards for a TD on the opening drive of the second half for Arizona.
“Obviously, we got to play a lot better,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I talked to the defense a lot about some of the things that you guys saw out there. Offensively, I thought we had our opportunity. We just had to play and make those plays like we did last week. I thought it was there for us, especially in the first half and we didn’t get it done and it got us in the hole and we weren’t able to overcome it.”
Shanahan said the performance came as a surprise after the Niners played well last week in a 33-22 win at Chicago and had a good week of practice.
San Francisco then appeared to catch a break with the Cardinals playing without Murray and his top two wideouts, but it didn’t help.
Shanahan said he warned the players not to have a letdown because of those injuries. The defense came out flat anyway.
“That’s something that I aggressively talked about last night,” he said. “For those guys to let down on it, I think it came down to, you guys saw how we tackled out there. We didn’t stop the run and we didn’t stop those screens. When you’re giving up some explosive screens and all of that free yardage, it wouldn’t of mattered who was playing quarterback. We made it extremely easy on them.”
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Embarrassing home loss – Video)
San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo (10) gets sacked by the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Embarrassing home loss – Video)
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Embarrassing home loss – Video)
The Cardinals (8-1) were playing without quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green. They also lost running back Chase Edmonds in the first quarter, but they still had little trouble completing the season sweep against the 49ers (3-5).
“They stepped up,” coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “We knew they had to. When you lose some your best players, it’s not easy. But that’s how this league is. Guys stepped up and made big plays all day.”
Conner finished with 173 yards from scrimmage, McCoy played an efficient game and the defense delivered three takeaways and five sacks, including three from Markus Golden.
Conner scored on TD runs on back-to-back drives in the first quarter to stake the Cardinals to a big lead they never relinquished. Conner’s long catch-and-run TD on Arizona’s first drive of the second half helped put the game out of reach. Conner leads the NFL with 11 TDs, all scored in the past seven games.
San Francisco lost a pair of fumbles in the first half and struggled defensively even against McCoy, a career backup who had won two starts in the past 10 seasons. McCoy went 22 for 26 for 249 yards.
“We hit on some big plays that really changed the game,” McCoy said. “Kliff got me in a rhythm early. James ran the ball hard. I just didn’t want to come in here and turn the ball over. We didn’t and you win games that way. I’m benefiting from being on a great team and I’m really glad to get out there on the field and guys can help me pull through.”
The Niners are now win less in four home games this season and are just 1-8 at Levi’s Stadium the past two seasons. San Francisco trails Arizona by four games in the NFC West and can afford few more slip-ups if the 49ers hope to make a wild-card push.
“We didn’t play very well today at all,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I was real disappointed. I thought we’d played really well. We had a good week of practice that we’d even improved from the week prior, but obviously it didn’t go that way.”
Garoppolo played well, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns, but the Niners never got the running game established and were gashed on defense. Garoppolo threw a late interception to end any chance at a comeback.
TURNAROUND
A week after committing no turnovers, not punting and not allowing a sack in a win at Chicago, the Niners wasted little time doing all three against Arizona. Golden had a third-down sack on the first drive, leading to a punt.
Kittle then fumbled after a catch on the first play of the second drive. San Francisco punted again on the third drive and Brandon Aiyuk lost a fumble on the fourth drive.
FOOLED ’EM
The Cardinals set up their second TD with a trick play. Receiver Christian Kirk got the ball on an end-around and launched a deep pass that Antoine Wesley caught for a 33-yard gain to the 1. It was Kirk’s first completion in college or the pros. Conner ran it it on the next play to make it 14-0.
Kingsbury said it was a play he used once as a college assistant at Houston and the Cardinals had practiced it all year with Hopkins throwing to A.J. Green. But it finally got called Sunday with a different combo.
“I told (Hopkins) since he’s not playing, C-Kirk gets to run it,” Kingsbury said. “He made a great throw and Antoine made a great play.”
FLAG DAY
A play with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on both teams ended up benefiting the Cardinals.
Kingsbury came running on the field to argue a call after the Cardinals failed to convert on a third-and-long in San Francisco territory. The penalty could have knocked Arizona out of field-goal range, except Niners cornerback Josh Norman was called for taunting when he started yelling at Kingsbury while the officials were discussing the first penalty.
The officials enforced the Norman penalty first and then the penalty on Kingsbury. That set the Cardinals up with a first-and-25 from the 26. Arizona settled for a field goal to take a 17-0 lead.
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Niners beating themselves – Video)
San Francisco 49ers right guard Mike McGlinchey (69) walks to the locker room after suffering a season-ending injury against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Niners beating themselves – Video)
2021.11.07 – 49ers vs. Cardinals (Niners beating themselves – Video)
INJURIES
Cardinals: Edmonds (ankle) and LG Justin Pugh (calf) got hurt early and didn’t return.
49ers: RT Mike McGlinchey (tore quad) out for the season.
UP NEXT
49ers: Host the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Nov. 15.
Cardinals: Host Carolina next Sunday.
Related – See below: Mostert’s Epic Dash to Super Bowl!
Related: 49ers beat Chicago Bears to stop losing streak
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco 49ers, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.
Mostert’s Epic Dash to Super Bowl!