Cardinals vs. 49ers: The good, bad and ugly from Week 9
By Peter Panacy
The Bad
San Francisco can’t win a game this season based off guts and the individual play of a couple of standouts alone.
As noted earlier, the Niners had just over 23 minutes of possession time throughout the contest. And despite a handful of drives that actually looked good, the 49ers endured another flurry of self-inflicted wounds.
More drops again. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin had two more, doubling his “official” total of two from earlier. And the Niners combined for an additional three more by Niner Noise’s count, making five on the game.
Oh, and they lack both talent and depth too.
49ers Penalties
The 49ers are currently tied for third in the NFL in total penalties (72) after adding another eight for 53 yards during this contest.
Yes, a few of those occurred during the post-C.J. Beathard-hit fight that ensued in the fourth quarter. Yet the Niners had more than a handful of flags thrown their way that hindered efforts on both sides of the ball.
At least none were on the no-longer-a-49ers-cornerback Rashard Robinson, though.
Still, head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to have a serious plan to rectify this problem that has lasted all season long.
The Pass Rush
Lacking a premier pass-rusher has hurt the 49ers in so many ways this season.
Pressuring Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton became something of an afterthought during the game, although one can think of the difference having a quality EDGE would make, especially with DeForest Buckner wreaking havoc up front.
Stanton was pressured, at times, from San Francisco’s interior. But without pressure off the edge, he could simply drop back to either side and throw the ball away.
For the note, Stanton wasn’t sacked and was hit seven times.
Quarterback C.J. Beathard
Again, Beathard’s efforts from Week 9 don’t fall completely on his own shoulders.
Zero pass protection and a flurry of receiver drops highly influenced Beathard’s 24-of-51 mark for a passer rating of 57.1.
Yet Beathard’s accuracy issues continue to be an issue. Sure, receivers should catch the ball if it hits their hands. But hitting receivers in stride has never been one of Beathard’s strengths.
And the pass off left tackle Trent Brown’s helmet, shown below and resulted in an interception late in the game, only highlights this problem: