49ers vs. Cardinals: Position grades and analysis for San Francisco

In Week 5 of the 2018 NFL regular season, the San Francisco 49ers lost their third straight game, and their fourth game of the year, to the previously winless Arizona Cardinals. Niner Noise has your full position grades and analysis from the Niners’ 28-18 loss.

Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals was one of the oddest games the San Francisco 49ers have played in recent memory. Despite posting big numbers through the air and on the ground, and holding their inferior opponent’s offense in check, the Niners lost the game by a two-score margin.

For a summary of Sunday’s matchup, check out Niner Noise’s game recap, which includes scores and analysis from the 49ers’ fifth game of the 2018 NFL regular season.

Turnovers were the difference in Sunday’s home game against the Cardinals, and San Francisco quarterback C.J. Beathard was the main culprit. The 49ers’ former backup QB tossed a pair of interceptions, and fumbled the ball twice — one of which was returned for an Arizona touchdown.

Injuries also played a major factor in the game, as San Francisco’s offense took a turn for the worse when the team lost starting running back Matt Breida to a mid-ankle sprain. Prior to his first-quarter injury, Breida amassed 56 yards on eight rushing attempts and scored a touchdown through the air. The dual-threat back tried to return to action, but was ruled out for the remainder of the game:

With Breida sidelined, the 49ers couldn’t run the ball effectively, so head coach Kyle Shanahan chose to take to the air. Beathard finished the game with a career-high 349 passing yards, compared to 170 for Cardinals rookie QB Josh Rosen — with 75 of those yards coming on the team’s first offensive play.

Even though the 49ers threw the ball 54 times, they also out-rushed the Cardinals 147 to 56. Arizona’s offense couldn’t move the ball throughout the contest, as their longest “drive” was a mere six plays:

On Sunday, the 49ers possessed the ball for over 40 minutes of the game, and amassed twice as many yards as the Cardinals, who managed just 10 first downs over 13 drives. Despite their dominance in most aspects of the game, San Francisco was unable to overcome their five turnovers, and the Cardinals left Levi’s Stadium with their first victory of the season.

Each week, Niner Noise breaks down and grades the performance of each of the 49ers’ position groups. Let’s start with the San Francisco 49ers’ offense: