49ers Rally but Fall Short behind Beathard's Heroics

Week 6 - Entering their Week 6 meeting with the (2-2) Washington Redskins who were coming off a BYE, the (0-5) San Francisco 49ers had been on the cusp of victory in four straight matches, including overtime losses in each of their last two games. Since a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers to open the season, head coach Kyle Shanahan has witnessed his team fight hard week after week but has had little to show for as his team's last four losses have all come by three points or less. Hoping to avoid the first 0-6 start in 49ers franchise history since 1979, Shanahan would look to earn his first career win against a Redskins franchise he served four seasons with from 2010 to 2013 as the team's offensive coordinator. He and 49ers GM John Lynch would also get a much closer look at Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins who has been on San Francisco's radar as a possible long-term solution to their QB problem. But it wouldn't be long before both Shanahan and Lynch also got a look at their youngest quarterback that coincidentally has been compared to Cousins.

But after a rocky start that saw Washington score a touchdown on their opening possession before jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, San Francisco appeared to be in store for a beat down and were in dire need of a jolt on offense. Following four unsuccessful possessions led by starting quarterback Brian Hoyer, coach Shanahan decided to kick the tires on rookie QB C.J. Beathard after the third round pick from Iowa turned a few heads during preseason. Making his debut with 6:39 remaining in the first half and his team down by 10, Beathard completed a 13-yard completion on his first pass attempt, but showed some jitters on his next three attempts as a trio of incompletions would bring on the punting unit. With another Redskins touchdown on the ensuing possession, Beathard would be forced to dig his team out of a 17-point hole despite only a handful of plays under his belt. And on his second possession, the 23 year old Tennessee native would look much more comfortable in the pocket as three of his next four passes would go for gains of 19, 31 and 12 yards, helping march the offense to the 1-yard line before running back Carlos Hyde put the Niners on the board with a touchdown run on 4th down in the final seconds of the first half.

By adding a field goal on their first possession of the second half, San Francisco would cut the deficit to 7 as kicker Robbie Gould improved his streak to 32 consecutive made field goals, the longest active streak in the league. Unfortunately, that streak would come to an end just one possession later as Gould missed from 47 yards out, failing to bring his team within a point. San Francisco would catch a break, however, as former 49ers tight-end Vernon Davis hauled in a 6 yard pass before being stripped of the ball by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, thus allowing cornerback Jimmie Ward to pick up the ball and nearly take it to the house before being pushed out of bounds near the goal-line. Carlos Hyde would need only one play to do the rest as his second rushing touchdown of the day tied the game at 17 all. Looking to answer, Washington would get a Dustin Hopkins field goal on a 16-play drive that lasted nearly seven and a half minutes to regain the lead. 'Skins captain Kirk Cousins would add to that lead with his feet as he scampered into the end zone untouched from 7-yards out for a touchdown before a missed extra-point by Hopkins.

Taking over with under three and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the former Iowa Hawkeye would tally his first career passing touchdown on a 45-yard pass to receiver Aldrick Robinson who found an opening near the right sideline as the Niners pulled within two points. In need of a stop on defense, the 49ers would force a three and out to put the ball back in the hands of their rookie QB with under a minute to go. But standing in the way of his team's first win of the season and the first victory of his young career would be the franchise C.J.'s grandfather Bobby Beathard once served over a decade with and helped win two Super Bowl's as the Redskins' general manager from 1978 to 1989. Hoping to make his grandfather proud by beating his old employer, Beathard would soon find himself stuck between a rock and a hard place as any chances of a late comeback attempt would be thwarted by yet another questionable penalty on the offense in the wining minutes of the fourth quarter.

Facing 2nd and 10 with 23 seconds remaining, former Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon would be called for offensive pass-interference as he collided with a defender when trying to make a cut while running his route. The penalty would set the Niners back an additional ten yards, turning the tide and knocking them out of field goal range and erasing any shot at setting up a potential game-winning field goal. Staring down a crucial 4th and 20 play with 9 seconds to go and zero timeouts remaining, Beathard would be forced to go for the home run play as his pass intended for Kittle was intercepted by corner Kendall Fuller as Washington survived for the 26-24 victory, handing San Francisco their fifth consecutive loss by a combined 13 points. Close but no cigar would be the motto once again for rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan who witnessed his team become the first squad in NFL history to lose five straight games by three points or less. For Beathard, the close loss is definitely something the rookie can hang his hat on as he nearly helped pull off the comeback victory by throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown despite missing all but the final six minutes of the first half. He also gives the franchise a glimmer of hope at the QB position moving forward.

Week 7 Preview: With the (0-6) 49ers returning home to Levi's Stadium for the first time since a Thursday Night loss to the Rams on September 21, Beathard will take over the reigns of the QB position for the first time in front of the home fans. Looking to make that homecoming as unwelcoming as possible will be the (2-3) Dallas Cowboys as the two teams renew rivalries once again. Having lost two straight, Dak Prescott and company who are coming off a BYE week, will look to avoid losing a third straight game and hope to keep pace in the NFC East with both (3-2) Washington and first place (5-1) Philadelphia. Week 7 could also see the possible return of 49ers rookie linebacker Reuben Foster who's been nursing an ankle injury suffered in the season-opener versus Carolina. And with the recent trade of veteran Pro-Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the 49ers defense could use all the help it can get against Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant and the rest of the Cowboys' play makers.


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