Photo credit: @AZCardinals

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, October 28, 2018

GLENDALE, Ariz. — In a war of attrition between two of the NFL’s three 1-6 teams going into Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals used a couple of late drives to come from behind and defeat the San Francisco 49ers 18-15 at recently renamed State Farm Stadium.

The 49ers and New York Giants are the only teams at 1-7 after this weekend. San Francisco hosts the 1-6 Oakland Raiders on Thursday night. Arizona improved to 2-6.

Josh Rosen’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk in the back of the end zone with :34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, gave Arizona its first lead since 3-2 in the second quarter. Rosen then connected with Larry Fitzgerald at the near left pylon for a 2-point conversion, giving the Cardinals a three-point lead, as Arizona outscored the Niners 15-0 in the final 11:06.

Kirk said the game-winning score was “just the same stuff we were working on in practice all week.”

“I just knew from the depth of my route that I was going to be in-bounds, just based off the ball that Josh gave me,” Kirk said. “I had to stretch for it a little bit, so that’s why I knew when it hit my hands, I’ve got to tuck it really quick because I’m about to get hit.”

“We didn’t score enough points,” 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan said. “And our defense gave us a very good chance to win, getting us those three turnovers, getting us that 12-point lead. Didn’t capitalize on them enough with touchdowns, and then we didn’t make the plays at the end when we needed to.”

“We had the advantage the whole game,” 49ers defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said. “The defense was playing lights out the whole game. We just couldn’t finish it off at the end. … Up front, personally, I have to do a better job trying to help my team get a stop.”

Niners cornerback Richard Sherman added, “We just didn’t make enough plays. We got them in third down a few times

The 49ers drove to their own 45-yard line on their final drive, but on the game’s last play, quarterback C.J. Beathard mishandled a long snap and wound up throwing an incomplete pass as time expired.

On talking to 49ers center Erik Magnuson about shotgun snaps late in the game, Beathard said, “You definitely do when you’re able to huddle up. If the snap isn’t where it needs to be, I’ll give him a heads up or whatever. But when you’re in a two-minute situation, it’s not really what you’re thinking about.”

San Francisco scored the first touchdown of the game at 6:32 of the third quarter, when Beathard connected with Marquise Goodwin on a 55-yard touchdown pass.

The 49ers increased their lead to 15-3 on a 20-yard field goal by Robbie Gould at 13:33 of the fourth quarter.

“That was big,” Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea said. “That’s four points off the board. It was a big stop.”

The Cardinals caught a break when, on a pass completion to Larry Fitzgerald, San Francisco was called for roughing the passer, moving the ball to the 49er 13. Two plays later, a 12-yard touchdown pass from Rosen to Fitzgerald, pulled Arizona to within 15-10.

“Anytime you can get a win, that’s what it’s all about,” Fitzgerald said about getting his 112th career touchdown catch, and the win. “That’s the reason you play the game, that’s why we come here and do it; it’s not for personal accolades.”

Arizona almost caught another break at 4:44 of the fourth quarter, when a fumble recovery by Fred Warner was initially ruled out-of-bounds as the Cardinals were driving. San Francisco successfully challenged the ruling, and took over at its own 31. But the 49ers’ drive stalled.

“If we could have gotten another first down, we would have been able to run the clock down a lot more,” Beathard said.

San Francisco was awarded a safety by rule with 4:07 left in the first quarter, when Cards quarterback Josh Rosen was flagged for intentional grounding while in the end zone. Arizona had the ball at their own 8

Phil Dawson booted a 31-yard field goal at 10:23 of the second quarter, putting the Cardinals ahead 3-2

Following an interception by Jaquiski Tartt at the Arizona 35, Gould made a 27-yard field goal four plays later, putting San Francisco back in front at 5-3.

Both teams did most of their offensive damage through the air. For San Francisco, Beathard completed 14 of 28 passes for 190 yards, and Matt Brieda ran 16 times for 42 yards. David Johnson led the Cardinals with 59 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Rosen completed 23 of 40 for 252 yards, and Fitzgerald snared 8 passes for 102 yards.

Facing a short week before hosting the Raiders on Thursday, Goodwin said “Usually, we have 24 hours to get over it. We have to get over it as soon as we get on the plane when we leave here. Just leave it here and focus on Thursday,”

NOTES: Coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects WR Pierre Garçon to “be good for Thursday night. Just trying to get his knee healthy,” Garçon has been mentioned in trade rumors with the NFL trade deadline approaching. … T Joe Staley appeared in his 166th regular season game with the 49ers, by T Steve Wallace for fifth most in a career in franchise history. … San Francisco’s inactive list included QB Tom Savage, WR Pierre Garçon, DB Greg Mabin, C Weston Richburg, DT Julian Taylor, T Shon Coleman, DL D.J. Jones. … 49ers lead the overall regular season series 29-26, going back to their first meeting with the then-Chicago Cardinals in 1951.

INJURIES: 49ers LB Reuben Foster left the game at the 2-minute warning in the first half with a hamstring pull; S Jaquiski Tartt sustained a shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return; DB Antone Exum Jr. was examined for a possible head injury in the fourth quarter. … Cardinals RB David Johnson was evaluated for a possible concussion in the fourth quarter and later returned to the game.

UP NEXT: The 49ers face the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football at 5:20 pm PT.