Quarterback C.J. Beathard said last week that there was no doubt in his mind that the San Francisco 49ers could still make the playoffs. There's no telling how he feels on Monday, just a day removed from an embarrassing loss at home to a previously winless Arizona Cardinals team.
Forget the playoffs. The 49ers have to figure out a way to simply win another game. And there won't be many more opportunities like the one they had on Sunday. The Cardinals have a rookie head coach and quarterback at the helm and still figured out a way to win by double digits. The 49ers and Cardinals will meet again on October 28, but it will be in Glendale, Arizona.
"Embarrassed" doesn't even begin to describe the feeling among the fans at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Oh, and up next on the schedule? Just a road game against Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers followed by a matchup against the currently undefeated Los Angeles Rams.
RELATED Recap: Turnovers, injuries doom 49ers' efforts vs. Cardinals in Week 5
Looking at the statistics sent out to the media by the 49ers Communications staff after the game, you would have thought San Francisco routed Arizona.
Dominate the time of possession? Check (40:12 vs. 19:48).
Dominate in total net yards? Check (447 vs. 220).
Dominate through the air? Check (300 passing yards vs., 164).
Dominate on the ground? Check (147 rushing yards vs. 56).
Dominate in first downs? Check (33 vs. 10).
Heading into Sunday, teams which gained 30-or-more first downs while allowing 10-or-fewer by an opponent were 46-3. The 49ers are now one of just four teams to lose in that situation, and they are the first to lose by double digits.
The 49ers are the first team in NFL history to pick up 30 first downs, hold their opponent to 10 or fewer first downs, and lose by double-digits.
After today, NFL teams are 46-4 all time when they pick up 30 first downs and hold their opponent to 10 or fewer.
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) October 7, 2018
The one telling statistic absent from the breakdown provided by the 49ers was turnovers. San Francisco had five, and they cost the game.
"You can't win ballgames turning the ball over five times," Beathard said after the game. "I feel like we played well in all the other aspects except for turnovers. Just got to take better care of the ball."
Two of the turnovers were interceptions from Beathard while the other three were lost fumbles — two by Beathard and one by running back Raheem Mostert.
"You look at a stat sheet and things like that, usually when, I think it's like 90 plays to 40, or something like that, you double them in time of possession, yards," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. "I thought our defense played their tail off. Did good on third down. You look at a lot of those things, it's hard to find how you lost a game.
"Then it's very easy when you look at the turnover column. I haven't been part of any game — I don't think many people have — where five turnovers to zero leads to a win. We have to improve that drastically to have a chance."
A season that began with so much optimism has started to spiral out of control. What did Shanahan tell his players after the devastating loss?
"Get better," fullback Kyle Juszczyk answered. "It is way too early in the season to just start going through the motions. We have 11 weeks left. We have to come in and get better. He just stressed that to us. He stressed that the talent is there and we can do it. We have to just take care of the ball."
