The San Francisco 49ers weren't about making excuses following their 24-20 Week 1 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. There could have been plenty — being rusty from no preseason, injuries, the lack of a normal offseason.
All NFL teams across the league had to deal with at least two of those, though. The situation wasn't unique to the 49ers.
You'll probably hear a lot more this week about the potential for a Super Bowl hangover. 49ers players aren't using that as an excuse either. While the goal is to get back to and win the big game this season, players have continually said they are taking things one week at a time and remain focused on each opponent ahead of them.
"I mean, I hope we're not thinking about last year. We just played a game," second-year defensive end Nick Bosa told reporters after the game. "We're definitely focused on this year, and we're not too shaken up about this (loss). We know what we're capable of doing, and we're going to come back strong."
Bosa added that aside from a couple of mental mistakes, he felt he played well. He acknowledged, however, that it obviously wasn't good enough to win the game.
One of the more frustrating aspects of the matchup was dealing with Kyler Murray making plays when the defense felt it had the Cardinals quarterback contained.
"You have plays stopped, and then he scrambles and takes it for a first down," Bosa said. "It's just an added dimension, and we're going to have to be better."
Added Bosa: "It's definitely a different challenge than usual, but in this division, you've got to deal with some pretty good quarterbacks."
The 49ers will prepare for a two-game road trip to the East Coast to face the New York Jets and Giants. They won't face the Cardinals again until Week 16.
