Many fans wanted the 49ers to lose by a better choice in the draft, but a victory is a victory. If the team wants a player, they will exchange for him. The mood after a victory compared to a defeat is total. It was good to have George Kittle back, and CJ Beathard should be credited with keeping the crime on time.
49ers vs. Cardinals – Game Review – December 26, 2020
“We are not proud of our track record, we would like to be better, but that does not tell the story of who we are,” said Shanahan.
The past 12 months have been tough for Beathard, whose brother Clayton was stabbed to death in December outside a bar in Nashville, Tennessee. The quarterback is popular with his teammates because of his upbeat personality, despite personal setbacks and football.
“That’s why people don’t mind breaking their necks for him,” said Wilson.
Beathard was not amazing on Saturday, but he avoided big mistakes. He completed 13 of 22 passes for 182 yards, Wilson won hard yards on the ground and the 49ers came with two big defensive stops in the fourth period, including Ahkello Witherspoon’s interception from Kyler Murray’s pass in the end zone.
“I think CJ played very well,” said Shanahan. “I thought he made some plays in the passing game, made some in the zone to read … Just his lead out there, the way the guys gravitated to him.”
Third string QB Beathard launches 3 TDs, 49ers stun Cardinals
After the touchdown, Robbie Gould of San Francisco missed an extra crucial point that kept the game from possession in 20-12. He also missed a 37-yard field goal attempt with 1:05 to go. But the 49ers overcame those mistakes and held on to victory.
The Cardinals had a promising opening attempt that got stuck in the red zone and ended up settling for a 3-0 lead after Mike Nugent’s 27-yard field goal. It was a common theme for Arizona, who sometimes moved the ball, but was unable to make great plays on the field.
“We didn’t perform as well as we probably could,” said Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury. “I didn’t call the plays as good as I could. Give them a lot of credit, because I found them phenomenal with their effort and execution. “
San Francisco gained a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter on a 21-yard pass from Beathard to Wilson and the 49ers took a 7-6 lead at halftime.
How did the cardinals lose to 49ers? Let’s count the ways
It was the day after Christmas and the Arizona Cardinals had the opportunity to prove their worth in the playoff.
Instead, they showed that they clearly are not, losing to the San Francisco 49ers by 20-12 on an afternoon where …
- The defense made running back Jeffery Wilson Jr. look like an All-Pro and quarterback CJ Beathard looked like more than a third striker.
Wilson totaled 204 yards of scrimmage with 183 yards running on 22 loads and another 21 on a touchdown reception. On many occasions, he simply had open spaces to run.
Beathard completed 13 of 22 passes for 187 yards (14.0 per completion) and had a passer rating of 125.4.
Overall, the 49ers had seven plays of 21 yards or more and another 10 of 10 or more. They won 398 yards in just 55 moves, an average of 7.2.
- The offense was virtually a no-show. The Cardinals were brutal in their first down play, running 30 for a total of 67 yards. This included a notable 16 where they had zero or less yards.
George Kittle says he’s happy to beat cardinals helps bears
Reporters asked Kittle what he thought of the 49ers’ win in the playoffs on Saturday and the San Francisco tight end couldn’t contain his feelings with his response.
“I’ll say this: I grew up a Bears fan and the fact that we help the Bears makes me happy. From Bears! ” he said, courtesy of 49ers reporter Cam Inman.
Cardinal fans cannot be happy with Kittle’s comments. But Arizona certainly didn’t play well enough to win.
Kyler Murray was under fire all afternoon, as he ended the day with one of his worst performances of the year. The young defender of the Cardinals shot for only 245 yards and an interception, while running for an additional 75 yards on the ground. He looked uncomfortable for most of the day, which didn’t bode well for Arizona.
Behind an offensive led by Mitch-Trubisky, the Bears are expected to be in good shape on Sunday. A win over the Jaguars puts Chicago firmly in the driver’s seat for a trip to the playoffs.
Best of all?
George Kittle will probably be on his couch hoping the Bears will do the job.
The Achilles break reported by Kwon may affect 49ers draft choice
But the conditions for choosing the draft were unusual, said Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated in November. Normally, conditions would cause the draft choice to go up a round or two in the same year, but according to Breer, the 49ers could have made a fifth round choice in 2021 if Alexander had achieved certain playing time benchmarks with the Saints.
It is unclear what the playing time requirements were for the compensation to be passed on as a 2021 choice, but with Alexander losing the final game of the season, there is a chance that he will not reach the limit.
Alexander played his seventh game with the Saints on Friday, so it is possible that he met the requirements. Presumably, the 49ers and the Saints will make an announcement in the coming weeks on whether the choice will remain a selection from 2022 or move to 2021.
But for now, the immediate concern is with Alexander’s health, who could lose part or all of the 2021 NFL season while recovering from his Achilles tendon injury.