SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Jimmy Garoppolo's mere presence wasn't a magic tonic for the winless 49ers, nor did he even play Sunday in his first game since getting traded from the New England Patriots.
C.J. Beathard got battered at quarterback behind a makeshift line as the 49ers' record sank to 0-9 with a 20-10 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The 49ers' next, and perhaps best, shot at a win comes next Sunday when the New York Giants (1-7) visit Levi's Stadium, where the 49ers have lost a franchise-record 11 straight.
First-year coach Kyle Shanahan has made no promises on when he'll play Garoppolo, and Sunday's protection issues plus receiver woes made it wise to keep Garoppolo out of harm's way. Garoppolo's only action during the game was basically to play catch and help warm up Beathard between series.
Beathard, making his third straight start, sustained 16 hits and five sacks. He also could not keep pace on the scoreboard with Cardinals counterpart Drew Stanton, who started in place of the injured Carson Palmer.
A 49ers turnover on their opening series led to the Cardinals first touchdown. The 49ers haven't won since last Christmas Eve, when Colin Kaepernick led them to a comeback over the host Los Angeles Rams.
