The San Francisco 49ers fell to 1-3 after falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 29-27 in Week 4. And while he was far from perfect, quarterback C.J. Beathard showed a lot of improvement over what he flashed his rookie season.
The rest of 2018 probably appeared to be no more than doom and gloom for the San Francisco 49ers and their fans after losing franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3. After all, that meant second-year pro C.J. Beathard, a quarterback whose 69.2 passer rating last year ranked 31st out of 32 starters, would be at the helm for the duration of the season.
But Beathard was actually pretty good in the Niners' 29-27 Week 4 loss on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Not perfect, but good.
C.J. Beathard gave the #49ers everything today with 298 yards and two touchdowns. Could easily argue both interceptions weren't his fault. He was impressive.
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) September 30, 2018
In a game which featured multiple injuries to San Francisco's offensive line, including left tackle Joe Staley being removed for a knee injury, Beathard still managed to handle the pressure from Los Angeles relatively well until his late game-sealing interception in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.
"I thought he played well," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. "We came up short there at the end. ... but he gave us the chance to win today. He played tough, made some very big plays, especially with the situation and guys going in and out. He handled a lot of adversity well and a lot of chaos with some of the injuries."
Beathard spiked the offense, going 23-of-37 for 298 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions, all for a passer rating of 82.9. Again, not great. But good enough to inspire some confidence he's made strides since last season.
And it was even more impressive, given the 49ers weren't able to get running back Matt Breida going for most of the game. Breida finished with just 39 yards on nine carries.
"I felt a lot more comfortable than going out there last year," Beathard told reporters following the game.
At the 3:53 mark of the first quarter, Beathard hit wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a two-yard touchdown score:
Touchdown #49ers. CJ Beathard hits Kendrick Bourne for six, taking the 14-0 lead over the #Chargers with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter. #SFvsLAC pic.twitter.com/hT5lWl2qh4
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) September 30, 2018
It was just one of a number of throws the quarterback made in tight windows on the game.
Beathard also made good use of tight end George Kittle, who led the Niners offense with six receptions, 125 yards and a touchdown. Including this 82-yard score late in the fourth quarter that pulled San Francisco within two points:
GEORGE KITTLE.
82 yards to the end zone! #GoNiners #SFvsLAC
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/jdcw26tOeC
— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2018
With the offensive line banged up, Beathard took a number of hits again from Los Angeles' defense, one of which knocked the wind out of him and forced him to the sidelines for a short bit. And while pressure led to one of his two interceptions, the one by Chargers EDGE Isaac Rochell at the end of the game, Beathard still managed to display the same kind of toughness that endeared him to both his teammates and fans last year.
"You're not really thinking about it when you're in the pocket," Beathard admitted when describing the injury to Staley.
It sure appeared as if Beathard wasn't worried about it much, although the Niners certainly would have benefited from staying healthy throughout the game.
Despite the 49ers loss, Beathard's display in Week 4 should make Garoppolo's injury a bit easier to stomach, as the backup quarterback looks as if he's made notable strides since his rookie year.
Beathard and the 49ers have a chance to turn things around in Week 5 when the winless Arizona Cardinals come to town.
