49ers blow 13-point lead to Cardinals as heat, injuries get to Red & Gold

In a game that the 49ers both had to have, and controlled for the most part: They blew it, dropping below .500 on the season once more.

The San Francisco 49ers suffered another devastating loss to a divisional foe in Week 5, losing 24-23. This time it was the Arizona Cardinals, collapsing from a 13-point halftime lead to allow a late-game field goal, ripping out The Faithful’s heart once more. Even still, SF had a chance late to win the game, but quarterback Brock Purdy got hit as he threw and the ball sailed in the air for AZ to intercept.

That was all she wrote. The visitors were able to kneel out the rest of the clock as Levi’s Stadium emptied almost instantaneously.

Aside from the first series of the game, the 49ers had their way in the first half, putting up points on four out of five drives.

The Cardinals open the scoring first however, only needing two plays to do so. QB Kyler Murray hit tight end Trey McBride for a nice pickup of 22 yards on play-action out of the gate. Then, Murray showed off his speed, knifing his way through the 49ers’ defense down the right sideline for a 53-yard house call to the endzone. The former hesiman winner knew he found a lane earlier, pointing to paydirt as he jetted past SF.

Kyler Murray reached a top speed of 21.27 mph on his 50-yard TD run, the fastest speed by a quarterback as a ball carrier over the last 8 seasons.#AZvsSF | @AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/K9vTkOKURA

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 6, 2024

Aside from that, the 49ers had control of the contest in the first half.

While they struggled to score from inside the 20-yard-line once more (1 for 6), SF racked up chunk plays throughout. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had almost as many receiving yards as the Cardinals in the first 30 minutes, amassing 115 on six catches.

The 49ers’ lone offensive score came in the first quarter. Purdy and the offense went on a 13-play drive worth 76 yards and 5:44 of game clock. The were rewarded for a successful series, finding TE George Kittle for a four-yard score to take the lead, 10-7, midway through the quarter. SF would take on two field goals in total before first half ended, showing that the offense had sporadic success.

Kittle over the middle 🙌@gkittle46

📺 #AZvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/G7iEU61vqj

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 6, 2024

Then a slight momentum swing in favor of the home side.

The Cardinals lined up for a FG try with less than five minutes to go in the half, only to see it blocked at the line of scrimmage. 49ers’ defensive tackle Jordan Elliott blocked kicker Chad Ryland’s attempt, bouncing the ball back in cornerback Deommodore Lenoir’s way. The CB picked up the football and ran with it, having an open field to take back the block for a 61-yard TD.

20-10 read the score, in favor of the 49ers.

Then, momentum opened the door for Arizona. 49ers K Jake Moody suffered an ankle injury while tackling the kick returner. Moody was carted to the locker room after gingerly walking to the sideline. That left the Red & Gold with no placekicker for the rest of the afternoon.

Even still, punter Mitch Wishnowsky was able to fill in, hitting a chip shot of 26 yards to extend the lead, 23-10, at the half.

The 49ers’ offense wouldn’t score another point for the rest of the afternoon. Their following possessions would read as followed: Interception, turnover on downs, fumble, interception. On the other end, the Cardinals scored on their final three possessions, including a pivotal eight-point score, cutting the deficit to just two points with 6:11 left in the game.

Purdy & Co. would respond slightly, going on an eight-play drive into goal-to-go territory. Then, disaster really struck. Running back Jordan Mason would cough up the football after it was punched out by AZ. The visitors pounced on it, killing any momentum SF had in the heat of battle.

The 49ers defense was gassed and it showed, as Murray and the Cardinals methodically took their time on a 14-play drive. But eventually, SF hung tough, stopping the Cards on third down. But it was too little too late, as the visitors were in range, allowing Ryland to hit the 35-yard FG to retake the lead with 1:37 to go.

San Francisco’s offense attempted to rally, and looked to have something in the works. But, it wasn’t meant to be. Pressure came Purdy’s way from the right side of the line, hitting him as he threw. The ball spiraled in the air as linebacker Kyzir White swopped in for the game-sealing play.

And that was that, a heartbreaker in the Levi’s Stadium heat.

A lot can be said about what went wrong from the 49ers in Week 5, but the main culprit remains the red-zone struggles. The 49ers were 1/6 inside 20 yards against the Cardinals; simply not good enough for organization’s standards.

“We were middle of the pack before the day started and we got a lot worse today,” 49ers’ coach Kyle Shanahan said about the issues finding paydirt.

Adding injury to insult, the 49ers continue to be decimated in the health department. The biggest losses in Week 5 were safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) and Jake Moody (ankle). Both men could not resume play after being hurt, with their absences expected to carry over multiple weeks.

But that’s still no excuse for not executing late in games. And the 49ers know it as well, with the loss to the Cardinals being another wakeup call for the former Super Bowl contenders.

“There’s so many opportunities to put teams away,” defensive end Nick Bosa said “And we’re just not doing it right now.”

As for what happens next? Simple: Live to play another game.

The 49ers can overcome a loss to the Cardinals in short order, heading to Seattle for a clash with the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 6. Despite being 2-3 on the 2024 season, SF is only a game out of the first-placed Seahawks in the NFC West (3-2).

It’s still early, and this regime has overcome worse. But if things don’t change drastically, it could be a long season for 49ers’ football.

“This organization, since Kyle has taken over, has found ways to win,” Bosa stated. “If you’re turning the ball over and you’re not making those plays on defense, you’re going to lose in the NFL…I haven’t loss confidence in this group….We’ve been through worse.”

The @AZCardinals stun the 49ers on the road! 😤 pic.twitter.com/qQCQY9hnbE

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 6, 2024

San Francisco 49ers 2024 Schedule:

Regular Season

• Thursday, October 10th @ Seattle Seahawks [TNF] – 5:15 pm PDT
• Sunday, October 20th vs. Kansas City Chiefs [SB LVIII Rematch]– 1:25 pm PDT
• Sunday, October 27th vs. Dallas Cowboys [SNF] – 5:20 pm PDT
• Week 9 Bye Week

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