Cardinals Late Rally Ruins 49ers Home Opener

Santa Clara – The 49ers aimed to put last season behind them, but their first game of the new season didn’t go as planned. Despite a strong start, San Francisco fell to the Arizona Cardinals, 24-20, after a series of penalties, miscommunications, and sloppy play allowed Arizona to rally in the fourth quarter.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray caused trouble for the 49ers’ defense throughout the game. With five minutes remaining, Murray scrambled for 15 yards and followed up with a 34-yard pass to a wide-open DeAndre Hopkins. Initially ruled a touchdown, the play was reviewed and overturned, leaving Hopkins short of the goal line. On the next play, Kenyan Drake dove over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown, giving Arizona the decisive 24-20 lead.

The 49ers had one last opportunity to reclaim control, but quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo struggled to advance the offense. A series of incomplete passes and Arizona’s dominant defense forced a turnover on downs, sealing the game with 33 seconds left.

“He had some good plays in there, but like the rest of the offense, just missed a number of opportunities that was going to win that game,” Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s got to play better. We’ve all gotta play better especially and that starts with me.”

“I can’t really put my finger on one right now, but there’s a number of them, missed throws, missed opportunities we usually make,” said Garoppolo. “You’ve got to take it for what it is, look at the film, be hard on yourself, like we always are, and move on. You’ve got to use the 24-hour rule.”

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San Francisco started strong, with kicker Robbie Gould hitting a 52-yard field goal on the opening drive for a 3-0 lead. On the following possession, Raheem Mostert broke free for a 76-yard touchdown catch, extending the lead to 10-0. Mostert finished the game with four receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mostert’s 76-yard touchdown was the fourth-longest by a 49ers running back in franchise history and the longest since Garrison Hearst’s 81-yard score against the Saints in 1998.

Arizona got back into the game after Ezekiel Turner blocked Mitch Wishnowsky’s punt, leading to Murray’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Chase Edmonds. Garoppolo faced challenges early in the second quarter but managed to set up Jerick McKinnon for a crucial red-zone opportunity. Mostert rushed for a 1-yard touchdown that was ruled short, and a failed challenge cost the 49ers a timeout.

“We didn’t do good in any situation on third down,” said Shanahan. “So, it starts with, obviously we didn’t have a good enough plan and then it goes to everyone else. When you’re 0-for, it’s never just one thing. It’s a number of things. They did a good job in their defense. They had a good third down plan, but I know we can do better than that.”

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Two missed field goal attempts by Zane Gonzalez didn’t slow down Arizona’s offense. Late in the second quarter, Kyler Murray’s pass intended for Maxx Williams was intercepted by Jaquiski Tartt, who returned it 16 yards. Robbie Gould followed with a 24-yard field goal, extending San Francisco’s lead to 13-7. However, Gonzalez redeemed himself with a 56-yard field goal as time expired in the half, cutting the 49ers’ lead to 13-10.

The third quarter remained scoreless until Murray took matters into his own hands. He scrambled for a 22-yard rushing touchdown, giving Arizona a 17-13 advantage. Despite some struggles, including missed opportunities and throwing the ball away when Kendrick Bourne was open in the end zone, Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Jerick McKinnon for a 5-yard touchdown, putting San Francisco back on top, 20-17.

The 49ers’ defense faced its biggest challenges in containing both Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, who proved unstoppable. Murray completed 26 of 40 passes for 230 yards and added 91 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Hopkins was equally dominant, finishing with 14 receptions for 230 yards. A once-dominant 49ers defense managed to sack Murray only twice, struggling to contain his dynamic playmaking throughout the game.

“It just comes down to executing down the stretch,” Richard Sherman said. “Any time you get to play, we got to knock the rust off some things, some communication things we have to do better, but I think overall, we feel good about where we are.

They played a good game. They made some plays at the end. [Kyler Murray] made some plays with his legs that made it tough and compromised the defense. But I think it was a great learning experience for everybody, and it will help us in the future.”

While the loss was disappointing, it’s just the first game of the season, leaving the 49ers plenty of time to regroup. They’ll head east to face the New York Jets next week, looking to bounce back.

Malaika Bobino

Malaika Bobino, an Oakland, California native, is a Bay Area sports journalism powerhouse and influencer. With nearly two decades of experience at both the Oakland Post and the Huffington Post, she is always on the front lines of the iconic Bay Area sports scene. Bobino covered the Oakland A’s postseason trips, all three of the San Francisco Giants World Series, was present for all three Golden State Warriors three NBA Championships and covered the 49ers last two Super Bowl appearances

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