49ers’ backups, including Oak Ridge’s Ross Dwelley, take star turns in rally
Jeff Wilson Jr. wasn’t given a single offensive snap until the biggest one in the game late in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers’ fourth-string running back, who was active because Matt Breida was out with an ankle injury, had been limited to only special teams throughout Sunday’s back-and-forth tilt with the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers won 36-26, but the score is misleading.
It was Wilson’s work during the week in practice that earned him the trust of Kyle Shanahan in the game’s biggest moment.
“Glad he had the time to get loose,” Shanahan said.
Wilson had time to enter the huddle because the previous play had been reviewed. A third-down catch from tight end Ross Dwelley, an Oak Ridge High grad who had two touchdowns, was being looked at by head official Walter Anderson to see if Dwelley had crossed the first-down marker.
The call stood, and the 49ers were able to call a first-down play with the help of the extended break in action. (Shanahan said afterwards he would have gone for it on fourth down rather than try a game-tying 42-yard field goal.)
The call was Wilson on a “choice” route against star pass rusher Chandler Jones, who’s far better at attacking quarterbacks than covering running backs. And because the Cardinals had tried a blitz to pressure Garoppolo, the middle of the field was wide open.
“He kind of came out with too much momentum on me. So it’s just a one-step stick,” Wilson said. “I know his hips (are) not that good, he can’t move side to side, especially when his whole body’s turned. Just a simple one step, go across his face, go get the ball, whatever happens, happens.”
Added Shanahan: “Good job by Jimmy retreating because they brought a lot more (pass rushers) than we could block. The O-Line gave him enough time and Jeff did his job perfect on it.”
Wild lead changes
What happened was a go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds remaining. Garoppolo found Wilson after Jones had fallen over trying to cover him.
The 49ers took a 30-26 lead, the last of five second-half lead changes, and wound up winning, 36-26, after getting a defensive touchdown on the game’s final play when the Cardinals fumbled a wacky hook and ladder attempt.
San Francisco improved to 9-1 on the season after fumbling away an opportunity last Monday night to beat the Seattle Seahawks in overtime. Sunday’s game, albeit against an less formidable opponent, was similarly dramatic.
Garoppolo threw two interceptions inside the red zone, which nearly cost San Francisco the game as the Cardinals took a 26-23 lead on Kyler Murray’s 22-yard sprint through the right side of the 49ers defense.
But Garoppolo was strong when the 49ers needed it most. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 58 yards on the game-winning touchdown drive. He finished with a career best 424 yards while completing 34 of 45 throws (76 percent). His 115.4 passer rating was his third highest of the season.
Garoppolo never wavered despite the costly interceptions.
“He’s the best. Nothing phases him. No moment’s too big,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “When somebody’s looking at you like that with the type of conviction he has in his eyes, you know you’re going to be okay. It inspires you to fight your ass off for your quarterback who’s playing as hard as he is, standing in that pocket and delivering huge throw after huge throw as he did today.”
Garoppolo was required to carry the offense because, for the second straight game, the league’s second-ranked rushing attack was ineffective. The 49ers finished with a season-low 34 yards on 19 carries. Shanahan said he had to scrap the running game in the second half because it simply wasn’t working as the Cardinals loaded the box daring Garoppolo to beat them.
“I think that was the first time I consciously got away from it in the second half, just because it didn’t look like it was going well,” Shanahan said.
“When you do that, you put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. And you know Jimmy, if you give him a lot of opportunities, he’s going to get his stats and stuff, he’s going to get some yards because he’s that good of a player. But it makes it hard not to turn it over too. ... We had to (rely on Garoppolo) there, we had no choice. He did a hell of a job. Really played unbelievable.”
Cardinals take early lead
The Cardinals got on the board first with a field goal on the opening drive that was set up by a 41-yard pass interference penalty on Richard Sherman down to the 3-yard line that was overturned after review. They scored a touchdown on their second series when Larry Fitzgerald went uncovered from 5 yards out by linebacker Elijah Lee, who was starting due to injuries to Kwon Alexander and Azeez Al-Shaair. Zane Gonzalez missed the extra point to make it 9-0.
The score was set up by a 23-yard catch from Pharoh Cooper to convert a third-and-12 down inside the red zone. The Cardinals dominated the first quarter, getting nine first downs on San Francisco’s defense that came into the game ranked second in the NFL.
The 49ers only first down in the opening quarter came via penalty, which preceded a turnover on downs when Garoppolo couldn’t connect with running back Raheem Mostert on a wheel route.
Arizona pushed the lead to 16-0 when Cooper caught a bubble screen to the left and scored from 5 yards out. At that point, the 49ers were getting out gained, 165-2.
Then Kyle Shanahan went to his sixth active receiver, dialing up a throwback screen to Richie James Jr. after James didn’t play an offensive snap Monday against the Seahawks. James went 57 yards to set up Dwelley’s first career touchdown to cut the lead to 9.
Dwelley just before halftime had a 16-yard touchdown negated by a holding penalty on center Weston Richburg. Instead, rookie kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 43-yard attempt to make it 16-10 at the break. It was his first kick since his overtime gaff against Seattle on Monday.
Dwelley scored his second touchdown of the game to cap the opening possession of the second half. He leaked wide open to Garoppolo’s right as linebacker Haason Reddick failed to cover him. It was San Francisco’s first lead, and part of a 17-0 run since midway through the second quarter.
Dwelley’s big night
Dwelley’s two touchdowns were the first of his career. His role Sunday was massive as the 49ers were missing their top offensive player, George Kittle for the second straight week.
“Ross has been one of the better football players on our team this year,” said Shanahan, “and (he) doesn’t get a lot of accolades because he’s not going to sit there and get a bunch of explosive plays, but he’s as good of a football player as we’ve got going right now.”
The 49ers couldn’t extend their lead on the following drive. Weston Richburg was flagged for a hold that negated a first-down completion to Tevin Coleman. A few moments later, Garoppolo threw a bad interception to linebacker Jordan Hicks, who was playing in a zone beneath intended receiver Emmanuel Sanders at the goal line. Hicks weaved 48 yards to bring the ball back to mid field.
The interception led to a Zane Gonzalez field goal from 43 yards to give Arizona back the lead, 19-17.
The 49ers next have three straight games against first-place teams, starting Sunday in a prime-time affair against the Green Bay Packers. Then they travel to play the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints, while staying in Florida to practice in between games.
“This is why you play football, for this kind of a stretch,” McGlinchey said. “We put ourselves in a pretty solid positions here. It means nothing if we don’t get our jobs done over these next three weeks.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 6:53 PM.
