"I was hot yesterday," Rice said on The Morning Show. "I wanted to run down on that field. … Yesterday, to me, I really wanted a statement game. I didn't get that statement game. I'm sure the Niners felt like they didn't play like they wanted to, and they left a lot on that football field.
"But now, the true test is what are they going to do this week? Are they going to make the corrections? … If I was in there looking at the film today, I would be disgusted with myself, and I would feel like I really let the fans of the Bay Area, the fans watching it from home, I let them down."
One thing that irked Rice was watching the 49ers receivers. Only four passes between two San Francisco receivers — Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor — were caught during the entire game. But it wasn't just the receivers' poor statistical performances or failure to create separation that irritated the Hall of Famer.
"Something that really, really got me heated yesterday — and I'm not going to call any names or anything like that — during the break, they were playing music," Rice explained, "and we had certain guys dancing that hadn't done anything on the football field; that didn't have a reception or anything. That's not the standard of the San Francisco 49ers.
"If you want to dance, you want to be a dancer or do whatever, you shouldn't be wearing that uniform. You've got to be productive. You've got to contribute to the team. And if you can't do that, go do something else. That really just pissed me off. The Niners are not about that.
"Now, you score a touchdown, you can do whatever you want. You can dance, you can breakdance. I don't care. But if you are dancing and you haven't made a catch, or you haven't done anything on the football field, I have a problem with that."
Then, of course, you had the defense's inability to stop Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Rice noticed something about the 49ers players that might explain why the athletic quarterback was able to do so much damage with both his arms and his legs.
"I think it was conditioning," Rice said. "I saw a shot of (Nick) Bosa walking off the field. He looked like he was about to collapse. I think it has a lot to do with those preseason games, not having any. These guys are not where they need to be right now.
"… Murray is very elusive. He's running all over the field. You've got defensive players trying to chase him, guys trying to tackle him and all that stuff. So it had a lot to do with that too. And that's something that's really tough the first game of the season because we get better as we go."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
NFL trade deadline passes: Here's the moves the 49ers made
The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the San Francisco 49ers made two moves to address key roster needs and bolster their depth. 49ers trade for DeForest Buckner The first was a trade for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who was acquired from the Indianapolis Colts... -
49ers Threat Report: 3 Raiders Who Could Disrupt San Francisco in Week 9
The San Francisco 49ers return from their bye week, preparing to host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. While San Francisco looks to regain momentum following its first loss of the season, Las Vegas presents several individual challenges that could make this matchup more... -
49ers vs. Raiders final injury report: 3 receivers ruled out for Week 9
The San Francisco 49ers are preparing for their Week 9 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Both teams have released their official injury reports, which are provided below. San Francisco 49ers Out WR Mike Evans (ribs,... -
49ers Threat Report: 3 Cowboys Who Could Pose Major Problems in Week 10
The San Francisco 49ers head to Dallas in Week 10 for a matchup against a Cowboys team with plenty of offensive firepower and one of the NFL's most disruptive interior defenders. For San Francisco, the challenge starts with CeeDee Lamb. Dak Prescott has been playing efficient...