The 49ers are reeling after yet another loss in Week 5 against the Cardinals.
The San Francisco 49ers (2-3) loss to the Arizona Cardinals (2-3) in Week 5 was their second consecutive loss to an NFC West division rival where they blew a double-digit lead in the fourth-quarter.
This is not something that 49ers' fans are to familiar with. Over the last two seasons, the 49ers have lost just one division game in route to winning the NFC West title twice. But then again, blowing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter isn't too unfamiliar under coach Kyle Shanahan. When looking to point fingers, Shanahan seems like a good place to start.
Kyle Shanahan blows another fourth quarter lead
Sunday marked Kyle Shanahan's sixth blown double-digit fourth-quarter lead since taking over in San Francisco, including both regular season and playoff games. Despite being widely regarded as one of the league's best coaches, the persistent knock against Shanahan is his inability to close out games, often getting outcoached late and losing. This issue has surfaced in multiple Super Bowls, dating back to his time as the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons in the infamous 28-3 game.
Granted, Shanahan can only call the plays and trust his players and coordinators to execute. But up 23-13 with under 10 minutes to go in the third, the 49ers had several chances to extend their lead. Yet, all four of San Francisco's second-half drives ended in turnovers—two interceptions, a fumble, and a turnover on downs.
Contextualizing the matter, however, some of offensive woes could be attributed to the depleted roster the 49ers are dealing with, as most of their star playmakers are out. Losing their kicker, Jake Moody, midway through the game certainly didn’t help matters either. Regardless, some have the shoulder the blame for this ugly loss.
Jake Moody goes down with high ankle sprain
A kicker's importance is often overlooked until they’re unavailable—a lesson the 49ers learned the hard way. Shortly after San Francisco blocked a field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown to extend their lead to 19-10 with 4:59 remaining in the second quarter, kicker Jake Moody went down. While attempting to tackle Cardinals return man DeeJay Dallas on the ensuing kickoff, Moody got rolled up on his right ankle.
This injury changed the dynamics of the offensive play-calling for the rest of the game. One key moment was on the Cardinals' 27-yard line, where the 49ers were forced to go for it on fourth-and-23 instead of kicking a field goal. A successful kick would have given them 26 points, enough to win the game by two. But instead, San Francisco turned it over on downs. Arizona scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to get it within two.
“Losing your kicker is huge,” tight end George Kittle said, per ESPN. “That's tough. Jake is a hell of a kicker and you don't have that option.”
Jordan Mason's fumble in the fourth quarter
The 49ers had a chance to respond immediately after the Cardinals scored but failed in the worst way. San Francisco drove down to the Arizona 8-yard line, but on first-and-goal, Jordan Mason ran to the left end and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by Mack Wilson, handing possession back to the Cardinals, to which they would later score the go-ahead field goal.
This turnover was a devastating blow for the 49ers. After all the miscues and injuries they had battled through all day, this was an opportunity to bounce back. They had just been unable to convert on fourth-and-long due to the absence of their kicker, which had allowed the Cardinals to close the gap to within two points. To fumble in that critical moment was debilitating.
As solid a stand-in for Christian McCaffrey as Mason has been this season, he picked a terrible time to lose his first fumble.
Brock Purdy throws late interception
Brock Purdy shoulders only part of the blame here, mainly due to the timing of his interception rather than his overall performance throughout the game. For all the criticism he has received in his career, with many claiming he is only successful because of the talent around him, Purdy has performed fairly well, especially considering the current circumstances.
Purdy wasn't perfect on the day, completing just 19 of 35 passes for 244 yards and two interceptions. The last of those interceptions, however, essentially sealed the game.
With the 49ers just having lost the lead, they had 1:37 left to drive the field and score a touchdown, as they had no kicking option. The drive lasted just two plays before Purdy was intercepted at midfield.
It was truly a no-win situation for Purdy. He had limited options and was expected to march down the field and score a touchdown. On Sunday, he targeted just five receivers, three of whom had only one catch. Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle combined for 16 of his 19 completions.
