SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ What began so promisingly with a picture-perfect touchdown drive evolved into a dull, dreary and error-prone defeat for the San Francisco 49ers, allowing the previously winless Arizona Cardinals to prevail 28-18 Sunday.
The 49ers (1-4) will take a three-game losing streak into Lambeau Field when they visit the Green Bay Packers next Monday night.
This loss was pockmarked by five turnovers, numerous dropped passes, offensive penalties and, of course, more injuries to a snakebit team, including the loss of leading rusher Matt Breida to a first-quarter ankle injury.
The 49ers flirted with a fourth-quarter comeback, and C.J. Beathard's fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Trent Taylor pulled them within 14-12. But Beathard got stripped of the ball on the 49ers' next series, and Josh Bynes returned the fumble 23 yards for a game-clinching touchdown with 4:53 remaining.
The Cardinals (1-4) looked like easy prey at the outset. Breida's 5-yard touchdown catch on a Beathard shovel pass capped a game-opening drive, in which Beathard was 5-of-5 for 59 yards.
But then the point-after attempt got botched. And then rookie QB Josh Rosen took the Cardinals first snap and uncorked a 75-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, who initially raced past Ahkello Witherspoon before free safety Adrian Colbert took a horrible angle at the play.
Then came the injuries. Running back Matt Breida, after impressively rushing for 59 yards in the first quarter, exited with an ankle injury on that quarter's final play and did not return. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon returned from a first-quarter shoulder injury but the offense stayed out of rhythm without Breida.
Things went so bad for the 49ers that Robbie Gould missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter. He made his previous 33 attempts for a franchise record.
The 49ers did produce a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter (Trent Taylor 1-yard catch; Beathard 1-yard run) but it wasn't enough to offset their earlier woes.
