Field Level Media
Oct 7, 2018
Haason Reddick knocked the ball away from C.J. Beathard and Josh Bynes ran it 23 yards for a key fourth-quarter touchdown Sunday afternoon, allowing the Arizona Cardinals to hold on and beat the San Francisco 28-18 in Santa Clara, Calif.
Josh Rosen threw a 75-yard touchdown pass on Arizona's first offensive play of the game, and the Cardinals turned 49ers fumbles and interceptions into two other scores, allowing Arizona (1-4) to win for the first time this season.
Beathard threw for a career-best 349 yards and the 49ers outrushed the Cardinals 147-56, but Arizona was able to overcome a 447-220 deficit in total yards to beat San Francisco (1-4) for the seventh straight time.
Trent Taylor caught a 1-yard TD pass from Beathard to get the 49ers within 14-12 with 6:51 to go in the game. But San Francisco was denied a two-point conversion attempt when Chandler Jones batted down a Beathard pass.
The San Francisco defense then forced a quick three-and-out, and the 49ers had the ball at their own 42, seeking to move into field goal position, when Reddick blitzed through the line and created the game-saving turnover.
The Cardinals forced five turnovers in the game, harassing Beathard into four of them on two interceptions and two fumbles.
San Francisco's fifth turnover, an interception by Bene Benwikere with 3:48 go to, set up Arizona's final score, a 6-yard TD run by David Johnson that locked up Steve Wilks' first win as the Arizona head coach and Rosen's first win as an NFL starter.
Johnson finished with 55 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Rosen went 10-for-25 for 170 yards with no interceptions.
The Cardinals did not turn over the ball in the game.
Beathard completed the scoring with a 1-yard sneak with 1:29 left. But, again, a 49ers two-point conversation attempt failed, leaving them 10 points behind.
After the 49ers took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in eight plays, the last of which was a 5-yard TD on a shovel pass from Beathard to Matt Breida, it took the Cardinals just one play to get even.
Rosen connected with Christian Kirk for a 75-yard touchdown on Arizona's first offensive play, and when Phil Dawson converted on the PAT -- something the 49ers had failed to do after their earlier score became of a mishandled snap -- the Cardinals led 7-6.
Breida injured his left ankle late in the first quarter, and his replacement, Raheem Mostert, fumbled on his first carry, with Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson scooping it up and running 49 yards to the San Francisco 18.
Four plays later, Johnson plunged in from two yards out to increase the Arizona lead to 14-6 with 11:00 to go in the half.
--Field Level Media