Beathard takes over and shines but 49ers fall
Beathard takes reins: Rookie replaces Hoyer, sparks comeback in fifth straight loss by 3 points or less
S.F. takes fifth straight loss by three points or fewer.
LANDOVER, MD. >> Rookie C.J. Beathard replaced an ineffective Brian Hoyer at quarterback Sunday and sparked a valiant comeback, but the 49ers fell 26-24 to Washington and remained winless.
The 49ers (0-6) have lost a NFL-record five straight games by three points or fewer.
Beathard will be the quarterback next Sunday against Dallas. Coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t hesitate when asked if Beathard impressed him enough to take over as the 49ers starter, answering: “Yes, he did.”
Beathard finished 19 of 36 for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 72.1 rating. His only carry was a 14-yard scramble on the snap before his first career touchdown pass, a 45yard strike to Aldrick Robinson with 1:58 remaining.
“He came in and competed,” Shanahan said. “By no means were things perfect. But the game
is not too big for the guy. He comes in, doesn’t hesitate, he’s extremely tough. He came in there and gave us a little bit of a spark, made a few off-scheduled plays, which was nice.”
With 22 seconds to play, the 49ers, needing only a field goal, were at the Washington 40. That’s when when a highly questionable penalty call — offensive pass interference on Pierre Garcon — pushed them back to the 50 and created a desperate situation. Beathard threw two incomplete passes, then threw an interception on 4th-and-20 with nine seconds left.
That the 49ers were even in position to win was something. They trailed 17-0 early. And they were down 26-17 with 3:34 left.
Beathard, the thirdround pick from Iowa, replaced Hoyer after four series produced one first down and four punts. He had the 49ers in a 17-17 tie heading into the fourth quarter.
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins appeared to have sealed the outcome when he ran 7 yards for a touchdown with 3:44 to play. The PAT was wide, and Beathard quickly brought the 49ers within two with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Aldrick Robinson with 1:58 remaining.
Key impressions
QB CHANGE >> Brian Hoyer’s sixth start might have been his last. His 45.3 passer rating was a season low. He was 4 of 11 for 34 yards, with two drops when Beathard took over.
This was not Beathard’s NFL debut. He had taken one snap in the Oct. 1 loss against the Arizona Cardinals. His first NFL pass came Sunday, though, and it was a 13-yard completion to tight end Garrett Celek.
Making it extra special, Beathard was playing in the town where his grandfather worked with distinction for many years. Bobby Beathard, the GM of three Super Bowl teams in Washington, is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. HELLO AGAIN, VERNON >> Former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis came through with a key 51-yard catchand-run in the fourth quarter. Davis showed his trademark vertical speed before heading left for the sideline, which is where safety Jacquiski Tartt tackled him. Tartt injured his left knee on the play. Davis finished with three catches for 65 yards. The 49ers traded him midway through the 2015 season to Denver, and this is his second year in his hometown Washington.
DEFENSIVE SAVE >> Jimmie Ward and Ray-Ray Armstrong teamed up to set up a game-tying touchdown in the third quarter. Armstrong stripped Davis of the ball after a reception, and Ward returned the fumble 42 yards to the 2. Ward also came up big on the next series, delivering a hard hit into Cousins’ throwing shoulder at the end of an 18-yard scramble, and later upending Ryan Grant on an over-the-middle catch.
LINEBACKERS’ DAY >> Playing their first game since NaVorro Bowman’s release, the 49ers also were missing rookie Reuben Foster, who returned to practice last week but missed a fifth straight game because of a high-ankle sprain. Brock Coyle started in Bowman’s place and had a spotty game. Armstrong, starting in place of Foster for the fifth straight game, had to leave with 3:56 remaining because of injury.
Key players
49ERS RB CARLOS HYDE >> The subject of Internet trade rumors Saturday, Hyde said general manager John Lynch assured him before the game they weren’t true and that he should focus on football. Shanahan also said trade speculation was “absolutely false.” Hyde had 13 carries for 28 yards and two touchdowns, but also five receptions for 47 yards.
WASHINGTON QB KIRK COUSINS >> He finished 25 of 37 for 330 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for a 102.3 rating. He produced touchdown passes on two of their first four series, going 12-of-15 for 121 yards and a 139.9 rating in that span for a 14-0 lead 9:47 before halftime. Cousins’ passer rating was perfect on the opening series as he completed all four passes for 57 yards, culminating in a 11yard touchdown throw.
49ERS DT SOLOMON THOMAS >> He came through with a sack early in the game, but it was his stop for a 1-yard loss near the 49ers’ goal line that helped force Washington to settle for only a field goal. That was his seventh tackle of the game. His career-high entering Sunday was five tackles.