Cardinals break though makeshift line for five sacks
SANTA CLARA >> Jimmy Garoppolo’s mere presence wasn’t a magic tonic for the winless 49ers, nor did he even play Sunday in his first game since getting traded from the New England Patriots.
C.J. Beathard got battered at quarterback behind a makeshift line as the 49ers’ record sank to 0-9 with a 20-10 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The 49ers’ next, and perhaps best, shot at a win comes next
Sunday when the
New York Giants
(1-7) visit Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers have lost a franchise-record 11 straight.
Beathard endured five sacks and 16 hits, alarming totals that don’t even include the harshest punishment he experienced. He said his greatest pain came when his thumb hit a helmet on a pass. Also, his neck got twisted on a hit after a false-start penalty nullified a play. And his neck survived a forearm on a penalized hit from
Antoine Bethea that ignited a late-game melee.
“He’s a tough dude, to get up from all that,” Garoppolo said of Beathard. “As a quarterback in this league, you’re going to take hits like that and you’ve got to bounce back up.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan added: “I was pretty impressed he made it through.”
Shanahan has made no promises on when he’ll play Garoppolo, and Sunday’s protection issues plus receiver woes made it wise to keep Garoppolo out of harm’s way. Garoppolo’s only action during the game was basically to play catch and help warm up Beathard between series.
“I’d love to get Jimmy in eventually, but a lot of stuff factors into it,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully we can get healthy and give Jimmy a chance to pick this (offensive scheme) up as we go.”
Shanahan said it would be an “unfair position” to insert Garoppolo so soon since his arrival and because of a banged-up supporting cast, including left tackle Joe Staley’s absence that will last at least one more game.
Beathard could not keep pace on the scoreboard with Cardinals counterpart Drew Stanton, who started in place of the injured Carson Palmer and threw two touchdown passes before halftime.
Beside its defense’s fierce pass rush, Arizona relied mostly on Adrian Peterson, who had 159 rushing yards on 37 carries, the heaviest workload ever by a 32-yearold running back.
The 49ers haven’t won since last Christmas Eve, when Colin Kaepernick led them to a comeback over the host Los Angeles Rams.
Key impressions
COMEBACK BID >> As they do, the 49ers flirted with a comeback, and it basically ended this time when Beathard bounced a pass off left tackle Trent Brown’s helmet for a Karlos Dansby interception at the Cardinals 7-yard line with 2:28 remaining. Beathard said he was trying to throw the ball away and into the ground. It was his only interception.
The 49ers came out of halftime indeed looking to rally, driving 75 yards for a touchdown that Beathard scored on a 1-yard run. He had a touchdown run nullified by replay review two snaps earlier. It was his second touchdown run in three starts.
The 49ers defense responded well, keeping the deficit within reach as the Cardinals settled for Phil Dawson field goals of 25 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter.
MORE INJURIES >> The 49ers, having already sent 17 players to injured reserve since training camp, are expected to add safety Jacquiski Tartt to that list because of a fractured forearm. Also of great concern is fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s neck injury, which will require an exam Monday to diagnose its severity.
By halftime, the 49ers had lost Tartt, wide receiver Trent Taylor (rib), linebacker Elijah Lee (knee) and tight end Cole Hikutini (knee). Neither knee injury is believed to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Juszczyk injured his neck on a lead block near the Cardinals goal-line in the third quarter. He had another neck injury in Week 2, and he missed two games last month because of a back issue.
Tight end George Kittle injured a knee making a 14yard catch on the opening series but returned to the game. Defensive lineman Ronald Blair, who came off IR and started in his season debut, nicked his thumb tackling Adrian Peterson in the fourth quarter but also returned to action.
Key players
49ERS QB C.J. BEATHARD >> He sustained 16 hits and five sacks while completing 24of-51 passes for 294 yards with one interception. CARDINALS QB DREW STANTON >> He improved to 7-3 as a Cardinals starter since 2014. His two touchdown passes came in the first half, and he finished 15-of29 for 201 yards.
49ERS RB CARLOS HYDE >> With scarce time for Beathard to throw, Hyde saw more action as a receiver (nine receptions, 84 yards) than a rusher (12 carries, 41 yards)..
CARDINALS RB ADRIAN PETERSON >> In his third game with Arizona, he had 37 caries for 159 yards, including a game-long 25-yard run after Beathard’s fourth-quarter interception.