Breida calls sprained ankle a ‘little tweak’
SANTA CLARA >> Unlike two games ago, running back Matt Breida wasn’t allowed to return from a leg injury in the 49ers’ loss Sunday. He said afterward his sprained left ankle is merely a “little tweak,” even though initially it didn’t seem so little.
“I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t even know what happened at first. My leg was kind of numb,” Breida said after the 28-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. “But it was nothing too serious. Just a little tweak.
“I’ve been battling through injuries the past two weeks, so I was just trying to get out there and play. I’ll be alright, though.”
Breida overcame a hyperextended right knee two weeks ago to finish out that loss at Kansas City, and he’s also dealt with a shoulder issue in what’s been a breakout season as the lead back in place of Jerick McKinnon.
“He’s been one of our better players. When he can’t go back in there, it’s definitely not easy,” Coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Before getting hurt at the end of the first quarter, Breida totaled 56 yards on eight carries, and he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass on the first series. Alfred Morris, who has platooned all season with Breida, came through with 61 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and a sore left elbow from getting it sandwiched between two helmets.
“Alf did a good job when he got in there, but they’re two different kinds of backs,” quarterback C.J. Beathard said. “In the pass game, Breida is a little bit quicker and whatnot. Hopefully, he’ll heal up quick and get back.”
• Beathard kept peppering passes to Pierre Garçon and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, with mixed results. Juszczyk caught the first six passes targeted for him for 75 yards, including receptions that keyed their two touchdown drives.
Garçon rallied from his shoulder injury and made a diving, 20-yard catch for a third-down conversion. But he caught only 5 of 12 passes that came his way for 47 yards, and he had a couple drops.
“I didn’t help him,” Garçon said. “We have to make those tough plays.”
Tight end George Kittle remained a quality threat, catching 5 of 7 passes thrown his way for 83 yards, including a 45-yard reception. Kendrick Bourne and Cole Wick also had drops, Wick’s coming in the end zone on third-and-goal.
• Center Weston Richburg aggravated a knee injury in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Erik Magnuson. Left tackle Joe Staley, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and right guard Mike Person made it through the game despite being limited in practice last week with knee injuries.
Tight end Garrett Celek (left quadriceps) did not return, but Garçon (shoulder), Kittle (knee) and linebacker Reuben Foster (right shoulder) did finish the game.
• Things went so bad for the 49ers that Robbie Gould missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. He made his previous 33 attempts for a franchise record. Gould hadn’t attempted a kick as the 49ers’ initial point-after attempt got botched.
• Wide receiver Victor Bolden made his season debut after serving a fourgame suspension. His first noticeable play: a holding penalty that negated a 16yard run by Morris before halftime. He caught 1 of 4 targets for 10 yards.
• Cassius Marsh’s sack 12 seconds before halftime marked his second of the season and the 49ers’ only one on Rosen. Marsh committed a third-down, neutral-zone infraction on the first third-down play after halftime.
• Wide receivers Marquise Goodwin (quadriceps, hamstring) and Dante Pettis (knee) were inactive, as was cornerback Jimmie Ward (hamstring), guard Joshua Garnett, offensive tackle Shon Coleman and defensive linemen Jullian Taylor and D.J. Jones.
• Rosen, the No. 10 overall draft pick out of UCLA, became the Cardinals’ first rookie quarterback to win on the road since Matt Leinart did so in 2006 at the 49ers. “San Francisco did a really awesome job disguising the looks,” Rosen said.
• The 49ers’ 92 plays were the most in a non-overtime game since 2012, when the New England Patriots had that many against the 49ers, according to profootballreference.com.