SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Three turnovers, shoddy offense and an injury-depleted defense assured the 49ers of their fourth straight defeat, a 33-21 loss Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Not long after Levi's Stadium's half-filled crowd chanted for Colin Kaepernick to come off the bench, the 49ers (1-4) instead stuck with Blaine Gabbert, and although he engineered an ensuing touchdown drive, his first pass of the fourth quarter got intercepted to thwart their comeback attempt.
Gabbert got sacked a season-high seven times, the last for a safety with 1:17 remaining. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 162 yards with one touchdown and the two interceptions, and he had 10 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals (2-3) started Drew Stanton at quarterback in place of an injured Carson Palmer, and they scored 17 points off 49ers turnovers, including a 36-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter off Gabbert's second intercepted pass of the night. Stanton was 11 of 28 for 124 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a Cardinals team that punted nine times.
Two earlier 49ers turnovers, bookmarked a couple minutes around halftime, quickly got converted into Cardinals touchdowns and a 14-7 deficit.
The last-place 49ers next play Oct. 16 at Buffalo.
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