49ers Lose Kicker & Late Lead to Cards

Week 5 - Looking to get back over the .500 mark for the first time since their Week 1 win over the Jets to open the season, the (2-2) San Francisco 49ers would play host to a (1-3) Arizona Cardinals team that they've dominated over the past two seasons to the tune of a 4-0 record and outscoring them 156-68 during that span. But as we've come to learn, wacky things tend to happen in the NFL. The same would ring true on Sunday for Brock Purdy and the Niners who have already had their fair share of shortcomings on special-teams thru the first four weeks and were snake-bitten once again in that department in this one. While it was the 49ers who were the home team, one would think the game was played in Arizona given the sweltering heat at kickoff. Hoping to do everything they could to keep cool, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had requested to wear their white uniforms due to the heat but were denied by the league in what would be the hottest game ever played at Levi's Stadium, with temperatures reaching up to 101 degrees. So much for home field advantage... 

Despite Arizona's poor record coming into Sunday's game, the Cardinals offense has come out guns blazing in each of their previous four games this season with opening-drive touchdowns scored in all four games played. That streak would continue against the Niners, becoming the first team since at least 1991 to score an opening-drive touchdown through the first five games of the season. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray would help them accomplish the feat just two plays into their drive with a 50-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career and the third longest rushing touchdown in Cardinals franchise history. While Arizona's red-hot starts have been well documented, it hasn't been about how they start games this year, but rather how they finish them. The same could be said for their opponent as the 49ers have already scuffled this season when trying to closeout games with a lead late in the fourth quarter. That problem would rear its ugly head once again against another NFC Western Division rival. 

After a three and out punt on their initial possession, the 49ers offense would muster together four straight scoring-drives to jump ahead on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, three of those four scores would come by way of the field goal variety. Marching up and down the field through the air, Purdy connected with receiver Brandon Aiyuk early and often, helping Aiyuk record the first 100-yard first half of his career. With Aiyuk due for a breakout game following a slow start to the season after missing all of training camp during his holdout which eventually led to a big payday, he would lead all receivers with 147 receiving yards on 8 receptions. With Aiyuk leading the charge, San Francisco's lone touchdown on offense would come on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to tight-end George Kittle to put them ahead, 10-7. While Arizona would tie the game on their ensuing possession early in the second quarter, the 49ers would jump back on top after a Jake Moody field goal. The Cardinals would attempt to tie the game again with a field goal of their own, but kicker Chad Ryland had his 45-yard attempt blocked by Niners defensive-tackle Jordan Elliott and returned 61-yards for a touchdown by Deommodore Lenoir. San Francisco's first blocked punt since 2009 and the first allowed by the Cardinals since 1972 when they were still playing in St. Louis. 

Sadly, the good news on special-teams would be short-lived as kicker Jake Moody was injured on the ensuing kickoff while trying to make a tackle following another poor effort by San Francisco's coverage unit. Moody was seen grabbing at his kicking foot after getting bent back on his tackle attempt and had to be helped off the field. For a moment, it didn't appear that Moody's absence would be too detrimental during Sunday's game, especially after Nick Bosa intercepted a pass from Kyler Murray and returned it 30 yards to put the Niners back in scoring position once again before the half. Making it inside the 10, the 49er offense would once again sputter inside the red zone and was forced to settle for another field goal which punter Mitch Wishnowsky was able to convert on from 26-yards out in Moody's absence as time expired to end the first half. With 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Patrick Willis honored at halftime by being enshrined into the franchise's ring of excellence and the Niners leading 23-10, everything seemed to be going well for the home team, with the exception of their now injured kicker. 

Holding the Cardinals offense to a three and out on their opening possession to start the second half, the 49ers appeared to be in complete control over their opponent. But in a classic tale of two halves, out came the turnover bug which began to bite the San Francisco offense. After scoring on each of their previous four possessions to close out the first half, the 49ers' four second half possessions ended in: interception, turnover on downs, fumble, interception. These costly mistakes would open the door for the Cardinals who were able to flip the script and capitalize on San Francisco's errors. With Moody unable to return to the game in the second half, coach Kyle Shanahan elected not to call on his punter Mitch Wishnowsky for a 44-yard field goal attempt despite logging the first made field goal of his career just one quarter earlier. The drive ended in a turnover on downs and opened the floodgates as Arizona scored a touchdown and successful two-point conversion on their ensuing possession. Watching their lead dwindle to just two points, the 49ers seemed destined for the end zone and began to march after a pair of big run plays by running back Jordan Mason. Making it all the way to Arizona's 8-yard line, Mason was stopped in his tracks behind the line of scrimmage for a 4-yard loss, then was stripped of the ball as the Cardinals defense recovered the gut-wrenching fumble. 

It was at this point that you just knew the 49ers were going to find a way to lose this game. And sure enough, they did. With the Cardinals taking the lead with a go-ahead field goal from 35-yards out, Brock Purdy and company would have just over a minute and a half remaining and one final opportunity to get the job done. But after a 15-yard completion to Kittle on first down, Purdy was disrupted while rearing back for a pass which led to a game-sealing wounded duck interception by Arizona who was able to pull off the upset in comeback fashion, 24-23, recording their first win over the 49ers since Week 9 of the 2021 season. With an all-time record of 7-4 at Levi's Stadium, the Cardinals were able to log consecutive division wins for the first time since Nov. 2021. Meanwhile, the 49ers who were outscored 14-0 in the second half, have now dropped their second game this season to a division opponent while squandering a 10-point lead and a win probability of 85% or better in the fourth quarter. Prior to Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan owned a perfect record of 38-0 when leading in the 4th quarter by 10+ points in regular season games. 

Three major components that led to the 49ers' second half collapse were the missed tackles (12), turnovers (3) and their continued issues in the red zone (1 for 6). San Francisco's inability inside the red zone was especially frustrating on Sunday given they were a perfect 9 for 9 in red zone trips against the Cardinals a season ago. Despite the loss, a number of 49er players reached milestones on Sunday, including QB Brock Purdy who became the fastest quarterback to reach 50 career passing touchdowns in franchise history, while throwing for 244 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Running back Jordan Mason who rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries, tallied the most rushing yards thru the first five games in franchise history with 536. Elsewhere, receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings each hauled in just one reception on Sunday, but they happened to be milestones as Samuel caught his 300th career reception and Jennings with his 100th. 

Week 6 Preview: While the slow start is nothing to scoff at, the 49ers aren't exactly treading in uncharted territory here as we've grown accustomed to seeing them get off to a slower start than they'd like more often than not, having now posted a losing record through the first five games for the 7th time in the last 10 years. Though the hole to dig themselves out of is not insurmountable, the fact that all three losses are within the conference and two of the three losses are within the division makes this a less than ideal scenario in terms of playoff tiebreakers if there was ever a need for one. San Francisco will have a quick turnaround with their next game on Thursday, but can turn the tide in a big way if they can pull out a win on the road against the rival (3-2) Seattle Seahawks. Losers of two straight, Seattle is also coming off a heartbreaking loss in a game they came close to tying in the final minute of the fourth quarter to possibly force overtime, but had a potentially game-tying field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown, icing the 29-10 victory for the New York Giants. 

Entering a near must-win situation which is uncommon at this juncture of the season, the 49ers will definitely have all the pressure on their side and will need to correct the mistakes that plagued them in Week 5 or else Seattle will have a big leg up on them in the division standings. Hopefully the game will serve as a wakeup call and the Niners can get back on track before a tough schedule ahead. The 49ers have won five straight over the Seahawks dating back to 2022, including a playoff win in between. With the injury to kicker Jake Moody, the 49ers announced on Tuesday that they've signed free-agent Matthew Wright to fill the void. Wright spent time on the 49ers' practice squad a season ago before being released, and has spent playing time with the Chiefs, Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers. 

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