49ers damage Cardinals’ playoff chances with victory
George Kittle and C.J. Beathard made triumphant comebacks Saturday.
It’s the 49ers’ makeshift defense, however, that really rallied and keyed a 20-12 upset of the host Arizona Cardinals.
Led by Fred Warner’s all-around excellence and Ahkello Witherspoon’s end zone interception with 4:37 remaining, the 49ers (6-9) responded from their own playoff elimination to hurt the chances of the Cardinals (8-7).
Coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense came through with deceptive pressure, exceptional tackling and solid pass coverage to slow the Cardinals and dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. That defensive unit, by the way, did all that without injured starters Javon Kinlaw, Richard Sherman and Jimmie Ward, not to mention the early-season exits of Nick
Bosa and Dee Ford.
Offensively, the 49ers did more than enough in Kittle’s first game since a Nov. 1 foot fracture and Beathard’s first start since 2018.
Beathard threw three touchdown passes, Kittle had four timely catches for 92 yards, and, overlooked in it all, was Jeff Wilson’s dominance (183 rushing yards, 21-yard touchdown catch).
Eliminated from playoff contention with last Sunday’s loss in Dallas, the 49ers (6-9) snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only their second time in eight games. They’ll close out the season against the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, where the 49ers relocated to this month because of Santa
Clara County’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Here are the highs, lows and all else you need to know:
– Kittle emerged unscathed in his return, the timing of which came into question because of an injury risk with no potential of a playoff berth.
His first catch since Nov. 1 was just as expected, a big gainer that went for 24 yards, with 23 yards coming after the catch. That sparked the 49ers’ first touchdown drive, and it was his only target before halftime. Kittle’s next catch also came on a Beathard bootleg, for an 18-yard gain. Later, a 27-yard Kittle catch helped set up the 49ers’ second touchdown. He did have a drop, the only target he didn’t catch.
– Beathard’s first career game with three touchdown passes came on the same field as his last start, an October 2018 loss at Arizona. He was 13 of 22 for 182 yards with no interceptions, one fumble and three sacks.
Beathard’s first scoring strike was to Wilson for a 7-3, first-quarter lead. Then Beathard showed off his mobility and grit. Beathard’s 17-yard, zone-read scramble in the second quarter marked the longest run by a 49ers quarterback since Colin Kaepernick (30 yards, 2016 at Miami). Beathard also was a lead blocker to help Brandon Aiyuk gain 16 yards on a reverse on their series out of halftime.
– Fresh off making his first
Pro Bowl, Warner showed why, repeatedly. His best play came in the fourth quarter, when he batted down a fourth-down pass attempt with the 49ers leading 14-12.
Earlier, Warner forced and recovered a third-quarter fumble on the Cardinals’ first snap after the 49ers took a 14-6 lead. He also showed his elite coverage ability earlier in the game, and nearly made a third-quarter interception. He did yield a 45-yard completion to second-year receiver Keesean Johnson in a speed mismatch.
Fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw made a couple big plays, as well. He made a third-down tackle for loss at the 49ers’ 39 to thwart a potential scoring drive before halftime.
Azeez Al-shaair’s speed as a spy linebacker paid off when he raced in to force a Murray incompletion 5 1/2 minutes before halftime.
– Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, starting in a second straight game, allowed Christian Kirk to catch a 38-yard, thirddown lob down the sideline on the opening series. Witherspoon responded in outstanding fashion, capped by his interception on the end zone by taking inside leverage on Kirk to pick off Murray’s fade pass.
Two snaps before that interception, Murray raced 30 yards on fourth-and-1 to the 49ers’ 13; Murray had 75 rushing yards (eight carries) and 247 passing yards (31 of 50).
Witherspoon also showed physicality, including tackle on
Kirk for a 1-yard loss later that first series and then a third-down stop of Kirk just before halftime. Witherspoon’s third-down blitz helped force a Cardinals three-andout on their second series. He also had a holding penalty on Deandre Hopkins in the end zone.
Witherspoon started at left cornerback in place of Sherman, who missed his 10th game this season because of a calf issue. Witherspoon started last Sunday at Dallas in place of Jason Verrett, who missed that game with an illness but started this game.
– Wilson (22 carries, 183 yards) had his second 100-yard rushing game this season, and his scoring knack produced the 49ers’ first touchdown, on a 21-yard catchand-run in the first quarter. It was Wilson’s team-leading eighth touchdown this season. Wilson left in the closing minutes of the first half with an apparent hand injury, but he came back strong to help key their second-half touchdown drives.
– Verrett appeared to relish every matchup with wie receiver Deandre Hopkins, and none more than resulted in a pass break of a potential touchdown in the final minute before halftime. After the 49ers’ lead was cut to 14-12 with 12:08 remaining — Kenyan Drake soared for a 1-yard TD — Verrett closely covered Hopkins on a 2-point conversion attempt that sailed incomplete.
Fittingly, it was Verrett covering Hopkins when Murray’s final, fourth-quarter pass fell incomplete near the sideline. Murray was injured on a hit by Alex Barrett that play.
– Fullback Kyle Juszczyk has four touchdown catches in the past four games, scoring twice Saturday.
His 9-yard touchdown catch put the 49ers ahead 14-6 in the third quarter, and a 1-yard scoring catch made it 20-12. Juszczyk was named this week to his fifth straight Pro Bowl and keeps building his stock as a pending free agent.
– Robbie Gould had made 31 consecutive field-goal attempts inside 50 yards before he pushed a 41-yard attempt wide right, and, more concerning, he missed a 37-yard attempt with 65 seconds remaining. He also missed a pointafter kick. The 49ers must decide before their season finale whether to exercise Gould’s 2021 option.