The San Francisco 49ers had an opportunity to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium. C.J. Beathard, the team's third-string quarterback, replaced an ineffective Nick Mullens and nearly engineered a miraculous comeback. He faced a potential game-winning drive in the closing seconds but fell just short.
The 49ers needed a touchdown to win. That would not have been the case had tight end George Kittle not uncharacteristically failed to haul in a pass. It's understandable why Beathard, a close friend and former college teammate of Kittle's, targeted the All-Pro tight end. Kittle had a phenomenal game — his first back since suffering a knee injury during Week 1.
Kittle finished the game with 15 receptions on 15 targets for 183 yards and a score. So naturally, Beathard targeted the tight end in the end zone for the two-point conversation, which would have meant only a field goal would be needed to tie things up.
The pass fell incomplete.
The 49ers quickly got in field goal range at the end but were down five instead of two. It looked like Beathard had a clear shot at running it into the end zone on the two-point conversation, but targeted Kittle instead.
The quarterback regrets that decision.
"So that play, we put in this week," Beathard explained after the game. "It was a zone read, and then we were just trying to pop George the ball. He was going to sell like he was blocking, and hit George real quick. That's the way we repped it all week.
"Obviously, looking back on that, I wish I would have ran it because it was incomplete. I think nine times out of 10, we make that play, we complete it and make that play. We just didn't make it there."
Kittle was also hard on himself for that play.
"I just didn't make it," Kittle said after the game. "Just a bang-bang play, and didn't get it done. ... We have to come out there and just try to go 1-0 next week, and we'll hit the ground running on Wednesday."
Beathard finished the game 14-of-19 for 138 yards. The 49ers fall to 2-2 and will look to rebound next week against the Miami Dolphins.