49ers grades vs. Cardinals: Fourth-quarter collapses hurt Kyle Shanahan
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers suffered yet another fourth-quarter meltdown, this time an 18-15 loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Niner Noise dishes out positional grades for Week 8.
Raise your hand if you thought the San Francisco 49ers were going to hold onto their 15-3 fourth-quarter lead over the previously one-win Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.
You’re probably not alone.
After all, the Niners dominated the Cardinals back in Week 5 when these two teams met, only to have five turnovers doom head coach Kyle Shanahan’s efforts in what turned into a 28-18 loss at Levi’s Stadium. With San Francisco not turning the ball over in Week 8, all signs pointed to that 15-3 lead holding.
Yet Shanahan and Co. suffered another fourth-quarter meltdown, allowing two touchdowns to the Cardinals and suffering loss No. 7 on the season — an 18-15 defeat against a rookie quarterback, Josh Rosen, and the league’s worst scoring offense entering Week 8.
Yeah, that happened.
Despite solving the turnover issues, the Niners revealed additional problems and issues on both sides of the ball. And what looked to be a good defensive game plan early quickly devolved when it counted the most. There were injuries, a lack of depth and all sorts of missed opportunities.
This might be the new low for San Francisco, which now sits as the favorite to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Not exactly how Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and Co. drew up the expectations for this season.
So as painful as it is, let’s grade out the 49ers’ efforts from this Week 8 debacle and try to forget the fact the Niners’ losing streak to Arizona, dating back to 2014, will now stretch into next year.
That’s painful too.