Having been sidelined with a foot injury since Week 8, San Francisco's Pro Bowl tight-end George Kittle returned to the lineup in a big way on Saturday, hauling in four passes from his former college teammate at Iowa, for a game-high 94 yards receiving. Despite their first time playing together in an actual game in nearly two years, Beathard and Kittle were able to rekindle their old chemistry which was a welcoming sight among 49er fans. Outscoring opponents 36-0 in the first quarter over their last four games, the Cardinals were quick to jump out to a 3-0 advantage after their first possession of the game, but the 49ers would succeed in putting an end to that first quarter shutout when Beathard hit running back Jeff Wilson Jr. for a 21-yard pass that he took to the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. In what would be the start of a busy day for Wilson Jr., the Niners' third-string running back would have a career day on Saturday before it was all said and done as he became the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2009, to put up over 200 yards from scrimmage in a single game. And his early trip to the end zone would give the 49ers six consecutive games with a first quarter touchdown for the first time since 2002.
After taking a 7-6 lead into the half, the 49ers would continue to go with a steady diet of Wilson Jr. on the ground, but a pair of missed field goals and a missed extra-point by kicker Robbie Gould, including one to open the second half, would make things a lot closer on the scoreboard than they should've been. Luckily, after forcing a three and out on Arizona's first possession of the second half, the offense would be able to add to their score without the help of Gould, as Beathard found fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 9-yard touchdown pass to go up, 14-6. Opening the fourth quarter with a touchdown by Arizona, the Cardinals would fail to tie the game on a two-point conversion attempt as QB Kyler Murray's pass attempt was incomplete. After a failed fourth down attempt on Arizona's next possession led to a turnover on downs, the 49ers took advantage of the gutsy gamble by Cardinals head coach Cliff Kingsbury inside his team's own territory, as Wilson Jr. broke for a 34-yard run that allowed the 49ers to setup shop just shy of the goal-line. One play later, Beathard would again find Juszczyk inside the end zone for a touchdown. Trailing 20-12, Murray and company would march all the way to the red zone before a pass was lobbed into the end zone and intercepted by San Francisco's Ahkello Witherspoon.
Despite their struggles, the Cardinals would still get one last-ditch attempt to tie the game, down 20-12 following Gould's second missed field goal on the afternoon. However, the 49er defense would manage to hang on as Arizona's fourth quarter comeback attempt came up short on a failed fourth down conversion. In what was an all-around stellar performance defensively for San Francisco, the 49er defense did exceptionally well in coverage as they were able to keep both DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald in check, as the duo combined for 14 receptions but were held to only 76-yards receiving. Also, Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake who was the last running back to rush for over 100 yards against the 49er defense when he did so in his Cardinals debut in Week 9 of the 2019 season, was also held in check for the most part as he was limited to only 45 yards rushing on 18 carries. C.J. Beathard finished with a quiet 183 yards passing, but managed to throw a trio of touchdown passes and avoided the costly interceptions that had doomed the 49er offense the past few weeks with quarterback Nick Mullens under center. Jeff Wilson Jr.'s 204 total yards from scrimmage were the most since Frank Gore compiled 246 total scrimmage yards in Week 2 of the 2009 season. Having played their last two home games at State Farm Stadium and coming up short in both affairs, the 49ers were finally able to pull out a win in Arizona, this time as the road team.
Noteworthy: Earlier in the week, three 49ers were named to the NFC's Pro Bowl team: fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tackle Trent Williams and linebacker Fred Warner. Also, defensive-lineman Kerry Hyder was one of three 49ers to log a quarterback sack on Saturday, giving him a career-high 8.5 sacks on the season.
Week 17 Preview - Staying in Arizona, the 49ers will finish their 2020 regular season when they play host to the division rival Seattle Seahawks (11-4). Coming off a victory over the Los Angeles Rams which clinched an NFC West title for Pete Carrol's Seahawks for the first time since 2016, Seattle will try to avoid an upset loss to San Francisco as they still have eyes on a top seed in the NFC's playoff picture. Unlike last year's heavyweight meeting between these two teams which took place on the final week of the regular season and was the final game of the regular season on NBC's Sunday Night Football which was won on a goal-line stand by San Francisco and determined the winner of the division as well as the NFC's number one seed, this time around the game will have much less meaning and far less drama. Nonetheless, Russell Wilson and company will try to continue their stride into the playoffs, while coach Shanahan's 49ers hope to finish the regular season strong with a little winning streak of their own to closeout the season and build upon come 2021.
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