Cardinals at 49ers: Key moments from Week 1

The 49ers’ offense sputtered, the defense couldn’t contain Kyler Murray, and the defending NFC Champions opened the 2020 season with a 24-20 loss in front of an empty crowd at Levi’s Stadium.

Jimmy Garoppolo was far worse than his pedestrian numbers indicated. He threw for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but had 117 of those yards come on two plays and he couldn’t get his team in the end zone during a back-and-forth fourth quarter that included three lead changes.

By the end of the game, San Francisco had just three healthy receivers (Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis and Trent Taylor), after Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) was ruled out before the game and Deebo Samuel was placed on short-term injured reserve Saturday. Richie James Jr. was ruled out of with a hamstring injury in the second half.

Murray passed for 230 yards and had 91 more rushing, though he had 100 passing yards at one point in the fourth quarter. DeAndre Hopkins in his Cardinals debut had 151 yards, 14 catches (on 16 targets).

The 49ers will look to rebound next week in New Jersey when they travel to take on the New York Jets. Here’s our breakdown of key moments from the game.

First quarter

▪ The 49ers opened the scoring with a 52-yard field goal from Robbie Gould on their first drive, which stalled after a 6-yard loss on a Mostert sweep run to the right that set up and third-and-14. George Kittle made an 11-yard reception to get San Francisco back into field goal range. That third down was the first snap for running back Jerick McKinnon and receiver Trent Taylor, who both missed all of last season.

▪ The home team’s first touchdown of the season was an explosive 76-yard touchdown catch for Mostert, who ran an angle route out of the back field and sprinted right through the Cardinals defense after they sent a heavy blitz. Mostert beat rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who looked like he was in cement shoes. Simmons began the next drive on the sideline.

The defense, meanwhile, was everywhere in the early going. Arizona failed to get a first down on either of their first two possessions.

▪ The Cardinals changed momentum in a hurry, forcing a three-and-out on San Francisco’s third possession, blocking Mitch Wishnowsky’s punt, taking over at the 10-yard line, and scoring a touchdown immediately. Running back Chase Edmonds leaked out of back field and beat linebacker Kwon Alexander to the right pylon to make it 10-7.

On the punt, the Cardinals sent two players up the middle, which was one too many for punt protector Dontae Johnson, who was beat by Ezekiel Turner. Johnson was promoted from the practice squad Saturday to make up for the injury to Jason Verrett.

Second quarter

▪ Shanahan made an aggressive decision early in the second quarter to go for it on fourth-and-goal from inside the 1-yard line following an impressive run for Jerick McKinnon on third down from the 17 (following Garoppolo’s second sack taken). But Mostert was stopped just short, giving the Cardinals the ball back.

The Cardinals then put together their best offensive drive of the first half, getting five first downs after having just two on their previous four drives, but missed a 52-yard field goal. It gave San Francisco good field position on its own 42-yard line, but the offense couldn’t take advantage and punted.

▪ San Francisco took back some momentum late in the first quarter after linebacker Dre Greenlaw tipped a Kyler Murray pass that went right to Jaquiski Tartt. It was the first interception for a 49ers safety of the season after having none in 2019. Tartt returned it 16 yards to the Cardinals’ 26.

The sloppiness continued from the offense. The 49ers managed just one first down while Kittle limped off the field after a poor throw from Garoppolo on a bubble screen. Garoppolo threw it high and Kittle came down awkwardly. Trainers looked at his left leg, the same leg in which he broke a bone against the Cardinals on Halloween last season.

▪ The Cardinals put together a field goal drive to end the half, making it 13-10 as time expired with 56-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez.

Third quarter

The Cardinals opened with the ball after deferring the opening coin toss and Murray began to use his legs. He scrambled 25 yards to convert a third-and-17 during some terrible containment from San Francisco’s defense. But safety Jimmie Ward knocked down a pass while blitzing, forcing the Cardinals to settle for a 49-yard field goal, which Gonzalez missed, making him 1-for-3, and keeping the score 13-10.

▪ The 49ers converted their first third down with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter when Garoppolo found Kendrick Bourne over the middle for a 16 yard gain. But the drive stalled and San Francisco failed to get another first down..

▪ Neither team scored in the third quarter. There were three combined punts.

Fourth quarter

▪ The Cardinals scored the go-ahead touchdown on Kyler Murray’s 22-yard scramble to cap a 14-play drive that included a questionable holding call on a third-down throwaway, a personal foul on Kerry Hyder for rolling over Murray as he slid, and a pass interference on cornerback Emmanuel Moseley.

▪ The 49ers got something going on their next series, starting with Garoppolo hitting fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a 41-yard gain into Arizona territory. Three snaps later the Cardinals and linebacker Jordan Hicks were called for a 27-yard pass interference penalty on a heave to McKinnon that was intercepted.

It put the ball on the Cardinals’ 10-yard line, setting up McKinnon’s 5-yard touchdown reception moments later to give the 49ers’ a 20-17 lead.

▪ The Cardinals responded quickly getting a 34-yard catch-and-run that was initially ruled a touchdown, but he was ruled down at the half yard line following review. Running back Kenyan Drake ran it in on the next play to make it 24-20, marking the third lead change of the fourth quarter.

▪ The 49ers got the ball back with five minutes remaining and started to get the ball moving on the ground, getting good runs from Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and even a 9-yard scramble from Garoppolo, setting up a first down from Arizona’s 32 at the 2-minute warning.

But the 49ers came up short. Garoppolo missed Bourne, who was open initially, when the ball had too much air underneath it. He later had a heave to Taylor broken up, and then on fourth-and-15, had a pass to Trent Taylor broken up that sealed it.

This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 2:56 PM.