49ers’ comeback bid falls shy
Mullens’ 3 turnovers put 49ers in tough positions
Turnovers, injuries, poor quarterback play and a failed comeback attempt are hallmarks of the 2020 San Francisco 49ers. All surfaced again in Sunday’s 41-33 loss to the host Dallas Cowboys.
Nick Mullens’ three turnovers, including a pair of fourth- quarter interceptions, doomed the 49ers to their sixth loss in seven games.
The 49ers (5-9) would be officially eliminated from NFC playoff contention as Arizona (8- 6) won later at home against the Philadelphia Eagles (4-9-1).
Next up for the 49ers are back-toback games at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, where they’ll face the host Cardinals on Saturday before a regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks; that latter game was moved there like the 49ers’ previous two home games because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 restrictions banning contact sports.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of crap this year but I wouldn’t say it’s too much to overcome,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We would have overcome it today without the turnovers. If you play good football, you have a chance to win every week, regardless of our circumstances.”
The 49ers have used a franchiserecord 80 players this season, and none has faced more scrutiny than the turnover-prone Mullens, who fell to 5-11 all-time as a starter and 2- 6 this season in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo.
Mullens fourth- quarter interceptions proved more damaging than a first- quarter fumble, but all led to Cowboys points. The 49ers spotted the Cowboys a 14- 0, first- quarter lead after touchdowns off two fumbles, those miscues coming on a Richie James punt return and a Mul
lens strip-sack fumble.
An elbow injury to Mullens sprung C. J. Beathard off the bench for the final minutes, and whether Beathard will start Saturday against the Cardinals, Shanahan said: “We’ll see. I haven’t thought about that. I’ll definitely let Nick and C. J. know first, though.”
Beathard led scoring drives both series he was out there, the first culminating on Robbie Gould’s 400th career field goal for a 34-27 deficit with 40 seconds to go. Mullens started out that drive before his right arm was struck by DeMarcus Lawrence on his final pass attempt, and an elbow injury to Mullens sprung Beathard off the bench.
Beathard’s 49-yard, Hail Mary touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne killed the clock, but only after CeeDee Lamb returned a 49ers onside kick 47 yards for a touchdown to seal the outcome.
The 49ers fell to 0- 8 when trailing at halftime this year and 4-25 since 2017 under Shanahan. They’ve failed to win after having at least a 7-point deficit in 28 of 33 games with Shanahan.
MULLENS’ TURNOVERS » Nick Mullens had a pass intercepted for the sixth straight game, and it took until the fourth quarter in 49ers territory for that to happen — twice.
Mullens stared down Jordan Reed before Donovan Wilson cut in for a third- down interception at the 49ers’ 28-yard line with 10:26 remaining. The Cowboys converted that takeaway into a go-ahead, 46yard field goal from Greg Zeurlein. Mullens nearly had back-to- back passes intercepted on the next series, including one that Wilson almost nabbed on a boundary throw late to Richie James.
Mullens further ruined a comeback bid when his pass over the middle to Brandon Aiyuk instead got swiped by Anthony Brown at the Dallas 40 with 2:43 to go. Mullens finished 21 of 36 for 219 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 71.4 rating.
A week after having a fumble and interception returned for touchdowns in a loss to Washington, Mullens got stripped of the football on the 49ers’ second possession, and the Cowboys eventually cashed that in for a touchdown and 14- 0 lead.
His touchdown passes to Jordan Reed (5 yards) and Brandon Aiyuk (2 yards, fourth- and- goal) had the 49ers trailing just 17-14 at halftime, and they pulled even at 17 with Robbie Gould’s 41-yard field goal in the third quarter. BACKFIELD ISSUES » Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson again battled through ankle injuries dating back the past two months. Wilson (16 carries, 60 yards) also pulled up with an apparent right hamstring injury in the final seconds.
After Mostert limped off in the third quarter, and after Wilson himself briefly came out, the 49ers pulled even at 24.