49ers will try playing spoiler vs. Cardinals
The San Francisco 49ers’ “Super Bowl revenge tour” has taken a long- suspected detour. They officially aren’t going back to the playoffs, and they won’t atone for last season’s Lombardi Trophy giveaway.
T hei r mi s sion ha s changed, with two games to play.
“Our motto the last week is: just go out there and have some fun,” said C. J. Beathard, who, because of injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens, will be the 49ers’ third starting quarterback this season when they play Saturday against the host Arizona Cardinals.
Beathard’s former Iowa teammate George Kittle will be back in uniform to help Beathard and the 49ers, and to gain momentum for next season’s anticipated rebound with healthier players.
“Yeah, we didn’t have the year we wanted to have. We’ve got a lot of pieces coming back,” Kittle said Thrusday. ”One of my favorite things to say is, ‘I get Nick Bosa next year.’
“It’s really fun for me to say because he’s just one of my favorite football players to ever even watch. I know he’s excited to get back. I’m going to put my chips in that when Nick Bosa is healthy, we’re going to be just fine.”
Even with Bosa and Kittle and other stars, the 49ers lost to Arizona in the season opener, and State Farm Stadium in Glendale hasn’t been kind as the 49ers’ adopted home this past month because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 restrictions. The 49ers (5-9) lost to Buffalo and Washington there earlier this month. After Sunday’s getaway loss in Dallas, no players blamed their refugee status for their
freefall.
If the 49ers are to upset the Cardinals (8- 6) behind a third-string quarterback and a drastically redacted roster, here are five players who will influence that:
1. CARDINALS QUARTERBACK KYLE MURRAY >> Murray led the Cardinals to a 24-20 comeback win over the host 49ers in the season opener, and one key way he did so was by running, then ducking. Murray (13 carries, 91 yards) slid late and drew unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Dre Greenlaw and Kerry Hyder in the Cardinals’ second-half surge.
Murray does a lot more than run. He has 25 touchdown passes and 10 rushing TDs. He won his third NFC Player of the Week honors of 2020 last week, passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 3326 win over Philadelphia, plus a rushing touchdown.
2. 49ERS QUARTERBACK C. J. BEATHARD >> Time to see if Beathard brings more than just toughness to praise. He won’t be afforded time to shake off rust in his first start since 2018, which was a last-minute defeat at Arizona against Josh Rosen (Beathard’s backup Saturday).
Beathard acknowledges
he previously lingered too long in the pocket before escaping. He’s been to susceptible to hard hits (40 sacks, 17 games).
“We’re a lot better team than we were back then,” Beathard said of his former starts in 2017 and ’18. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have been in the offense, you know, some of us for two, three years now that they know the scheme. Me being able to get the ball quicker, being on the same page with guys, that helps a lot, too.” 3. CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVER DEANDRE HOPKINS >> There’s no question he could be as dominant as he was in Week 1 (14 catches, 151 yards). The biggest mystery is who will try defending him this time.
Richard Sherman’s season- long calf woes will keep him out, and possibly from ever again suiting up for the 49ers, since he’s said it would take a miracle to re-sign him because of the team’s financial crunch.
Jason Verrett should be game for opposing Hopkins. Verrett missed the opening matchup because of a hamstring injury, then made a stirring comeback this season to revive his career. He missed last game because of illness but looks on track to play. 4. 49ERS WIDE RECEIVER
BRANDON AIYUK >> All due respect to the 49ers’ two offensive Pro Bowlers — left tackle Trent Williams and fullback Kyle Juszczyk — but Aiyuk has been the 49ers’ brightest star on offense. He has 59 receptions for 733 yards and five touchdowns. He is 195 yards shy of breaking Jerry Rice’s single-season record for yards by a 49ers rookie.
“Going into a game, my mindset is that I’m going to have 200 yards, and then go from there,” Aiyuk said. “The mindset is not to worry about that record, but to go have the perfect game, which I’ve yet to do.”
Also watch if Aiyuk gets more opportunities as a punt returner. Return specialist Richie James Jr. fumbled a punt return last week and Trent Taylor is on the COVID-19 reserve list. Aiyuk has rotated in as a punt returner the past three games. He has two returns (26 yards) and two fair catches. 5. TIGHT END GEORGE KITTLE >> Shanahan hasn’t flinched when asked, with no playoffs at stake, why in the heck he’d play Kittle for the first time since a Nov. 1 foot fracture. Simply, Shanahan insists that a medically cleared Kittle should not be withheld from action when other players are pushing through injuries to finish out the season.
Kittle’s got a nice little rivalry going with the Cardinals, too. He’s been injured the past two times he’s faced them.
“This team’s going to look pretty different next year,” Kittle said. “I’m excited for that but I’m also exited to paly these two games and give some teams some fits. It’s going to be pretty fun.”