Welcome to the live blog for the San Francisco 49ers week 3 contest with the Arizona Cardinals. I will be updating up to and throughout the game with information and analysis.
12:14 - Vernon Davis is among the inactive players today for the 49ers. Since Colin Kaepernick took over at quarterback he is winless in games in which Davis either did not play or had to leave the game early. The 49ers lost 27-7 to the Colts in the last game that Davis did not play in. That was week 3 of last season.
12:18 - My prediction for today with Davis out of the lineup is Cardinals 17 49ers 9
12:19 - The other inactive players for the 49ers will be Vance McDonald, Anthony Davis, Tramaine Brock, Quinton Patton, Tank Carradine and Marcus Martin.
12:21 - Inactive for the Cardinals today will be Carson Palmer, Dave Zastudil, Victor Butler, Glenn Carson, Alex Okafor, Alameda Ta'amu and Rob Housler.
12:36 - One more thing on the 49ers being without Vernon Davis today. Last year Colin Kaepernick threw 4 touchdown passes against the Cardinals. Three of those touchdowns went to Vernon Davis.
1:05 - 49ers will kickoff to start the game.
1:08 - Big throw on third down from Stanton to Michael Floyd puts the Cards on the 49ers 38 yard line. Floyd beat Antoine Bethea on the play.
1:10 - On 3rd and 5 Ellington drops a pass from Stanton over the middle. Cardinals rookie Chandler Catanzaro hits a 51 yard field goal to go up 3-0.
1:13 - The 49ers will start their first possession from their own 20 yard line.
1:15 - Back to back completions to Stevie Johnson result in a 49ers first down.
1:16 - 49ers are in hurry up mode to open this game up and dinking and dunking down the field. Back to back completions to Crabtree for another first down.
1:18 - Kaepernick calls time out with the 49ers facing a 3rd and 1.
1:23 - After a 12 yard Kaepernick run puts the 49ers at the Cardinals 8 yard line, he hits Boldin for a 7 yard gain down to the 1.
1:25 - Kaepernick rolls to his left and hits Crabtree in the flat for a touchdown. 49ers take the lead 7-3. That's 3 straight games in which the 49ers have scored a touchdown on their first possession.
1:27 - Kaepernick was a perfect 7-7 on that drive.
1:31 - The 49ers defense comes up big with a stuff on a 3rd and 1 run. The Cards are going to go for it.
1:33 - The officials missed a false start by the running back on that 4th down play.
1:36 - 49ers with 2 defensive penalties so far on this drive.
1:38 - Vic Fangio sends the house and they get to Stanton. It's wiped out by an illegal contact foul. That's 3 defensive penalties now.
1:40 - And another defensive penalty. To do this coming off last week is a mess.
1:46 - The 49ers defense comes up big in the redzone to force a field goal attempt. It's good and the 49ers lead is cut to 7-6 early in the second quarter.
1:49 - 49ers start this drive from their own 20.
1:51 - The 49ers have played mostly without a tight end so far on offense and Kaepernick has been dealing.
1:55 - Kaepernick hits Stevie Johnson for a big conversion of a 4th and 1.
1:58 - The 49ers have been in either 10 (1 RB, 0 TE) or 11 (1RB, 1 TE) personnel for 17 of their first 21 snaps today.
2:04 - Carlos Hyde with a strong run on a toss sweep to the left for a 7 yard touchdown run. 49ers lead is now 14-6.
2:05 - It looks like the 49ers second TE today is going to be Joe Looney. He was lined up at TE on the right side for the Hyde TD run.
2:12 - The 49ers defense finally gets off the field without giving up points. May be the first time that has happened since the second quarter of the Bears game last week.
2:18 - At the 2 minute warning the 49ers face a 3rd and 10.
2:22 - And Kaepernick hits Johnson for 12 yards to pick it up.
2:24 - Jonathan Martin really struggles when asked to pull in space.
2:25 - The 49ers are stopped on 3rd and long and forced to punt.
2:27 - The first half comes to a close with the 49ers up 14-6. They will get the ball to start the second half.
2:45 - After picking up a first down, the 49ers are forced to punt. Cromartie dropped an interception with reservations for 6 on the 3rd down play.
2:49 - Chris Culliver continues to be terrible defending the deep ball. Gives up a big play down the left sideline to Michael Floyd.
2:54 - Stanton hits rookie John Brown for a 24 yard touchdown. He just went right through the middle of the 49ers zone defense. 49ers lead is cut to 14-13.
2:59 - Antonio Cromartie is down. He has been tough on the left side of the 49ers offense so far today.
3:02 - The Cardinals force a 3 and out. They seem to have caught up to the 49ers wrinkles.
3:07 - What a stupid personal foul penalty by Dan Skuta.
3:08 - That's a terrible call. Willis hit him with the face mask, not the top of the helmet.
3:11 - Stanton hits Brown for another touchdown. This one is 21 yards. The 49ers defense is falling apart in the second half for the second straight week. Cardinals lead 20-14.
3:14 - The 49ers will start the drive from their own 20. This is the 5th time in 6 possessions that they have started at their own 20 or worse.
3:19 - What a stupid move by Boldin. You can't give up 15 yards like that.
3:21 - Kaepernick has played pretty good all day, but as the 4th quarter begins the 49ers are down by 6. Will he come up big or shrink like he did last week?
3:27 - And the Dawson field goal is blocked. Cardinals will have the ball near midfield.
3:28 - For the second straight week, stupid, undisciplined football is going to cause the 49ers to lose. They are lucky they faced Tony Romo in week 1.
3:32 - Hey Culliver. You are losing. Shut your mouth and go back to the huddle.
3:34 - The Cardinals now pick up the first down on 3rd and 12. Send a blitz and no one picks up the tight end. Falling apart.
3:35 - Keep talking Chris. Keep talking.
3:39 - Jimmie Ward gives up a 25 yard completion on 2nd and 30.
3:42 - Can the 49ers take advantage of a late Larry Fitzgerald fumble for the second year in a row? Remember he fumbled deep in 49ers territory in the first meeting a year ago as the Cardinals were getting ready to take the lead.
3:47 - Alex Boone with the whiff and down goes Kaepernick.
3:50 - Kaepernick is not even close on third down. That's a wrap.
3:57 - Andre Ellington just put the 49ers out of their misery. The 49ers will be in 3rd place, 2 1/2 games behind Arizona with 2 losses in the NFC with this loss today. They will be fighting for a Wild-Card spot the rest of the way.
4:03 - After falling to 1-2 last year the 49ers retooled and came out with a renewed dedication to the running game, throwing the ball on less than 40% of their snaps during a 5 game win streak. The spread offense is pretty, but goes against what has made them so good since 2011.
4:17 - Through the first 3 weeks the 49ers have averaged 101 penalty yards per game. Remember when 49ers fans used to make fun of the Raiders for being undisciplined?