49ers vs. Cardinals: 5 chilling stats that say everything about Week 9 loss

No. 1: 49ers get away from the run game again with just 39 yards

Even though the 49ers fell behind early and was facing a 17-point deficit in the first half, the game was far from over. And it would have been a great strategy for Kyle Shanahan to slow the game down before halftime by running the ball often with one of his best-performing rookies, running back Elijah Mitchell.

Granted, Mitchell entered the game banged up and was questionable. But he still managed to average 4.5 yards per carry.

This should have been a key factor against a Cardinals defense that was allowing an average of 4.9 yards per carry against entering Week 9, next to worst in the NFL up to this point. And if it was a point of emphasis, it would have also forced Arizona to rely more on Colt McCoy’s arm instead of James Conner running the ball.

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Or, at the very least, it would have edged the time-of-possession battle back into the Niners’ favor.

Instead, Mitchell got just eight carries for 36 yards, while Jimmy Garoppolo had 3 yards rushing. Brandon Aiyuk and fellow running back JaMycal Hasty both cancelled each other out, one with a negative run and the other a mere 2-yard gain.

Even early in the second half, the deficit wasn’t large enough to call for pass-only drives. Yet Shanahan got away from his primary modus operandi again.

San Francisco hurt because of it.