C.J. Beathard sharp enough to win in 49ers’ Week 4 loss to Chargers follow By Peter Panacy Sep 30, 2018 at 5:33 PM • Shop on Amazon to support this writer The San Francisco 49ers fell to 1-3 after falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 29-27 in Week 4. And while he was far from perfect, quarterback C.J. Beathard showed a lot of improvement over what he flashed his rookie season. The rest of 2018 probably appeared to be no more than doom and gloom for the San Francisco 49ers and their fans after losing franchise quarterback But Beathard was actually pretty good in the Niners' 29-27 Week 4 loss on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Not perfect, but good. C.J. Beathard gave the #49ers everything today with 298 yards and two touchdowns. Could easily argue both interceptions weren't his fault. He was impressive. — Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) September 30, 2018 In a game which featured multiple injuries to San Francisco's offensive line, including left tackle Joe Staley being removed for a knee injury, Beathard still managed to handle the pressure from Los Angeles relatively well until his late game-sealing interception in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. "I thought he played well," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. "We came up short there at the end. ... but he gave us the chance to win today. He played tough, made some very big plays, especially with the situation and guys going in and out. He handled a lot of adversity well and a lot of chaos with some of the injuries." Beathard spiked the offense, going 23-of-37 for 298 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions, all for a passer rating of 82.9. Again, not great. But good enough to inspire some confidence he's made strides since last season. And it was even more impressive, given the 49ers weren't able to get running back Matt Breida going for most of the game. Breida finished with just 39 yards on nine carries. At the 3:53 mark of the first quarter, Beathard hit wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a Touchdown #49ers. CJ Beathard hits Kendrick Bourne for six, taking the 14-0 lead over the #Chargers with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter. #SFvsLAC pic.twitter.com/hT5lWl2qh4 — Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) September 30, 2018 It was just one of a number of throws the quarterback made in tight windows on the game. Beathard also made good use of tight end GEORGE KITTLE. 82 yards to the end zone! #GoNiners #SFvsLAC 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/jdcw26tOeC — NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2018 With the offensive line banged up, Beathard took a number of hits again from Los Angeles' defense, one of which knocked the wind out of him and forced him to the sidelines for a short bit. And while pressure led to one of his two interceptions, the one by Chargers EDGE Isaac Rochell at the end of the game, Beathard still managed to display the same kind of toughness that endeared him to both his teammates and fans last year. "You're not really thinking about it when you're in the pocket," Beathard admitted when describing the injury to Staley. It sure appeared as if Beathard wasn't worried about it much, although the Niners certainly would have benefited from staying healthy throughout the game. Beathard and the 49ers have a chance to turn things around in Week 5 when the winless Arizona Cardinals come to town. Written by: Peter Panacy Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account. @PeterPanacy The rest of 2018 probably appeared to be no more than doom and gloom for the San Francisco 49ers and their fans after losing franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3. After all, that meant second-year pro C.J. Beathard, a quarterback whose 69.2 passer rating last year ranked 31st out of 32 starters, would be at the helm for the duration of the season.But Beathard was actually pretty good in the Niners' 29-27 Week 4 loss on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Not perfect, but good.In a game which featured multiple injuries to San Francisco's offensive line, including left tackle Joe Staley being removed for a knee injury, Beathard still managed to handle the pressure from Los Angeles relatively well until his late game-sealing interception in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. "I thought he played well," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. "We came up short there at the end. ... but he gave us the chance to win today. He played tough, made some very big plays, especially with the situation and guys going in and out. He handled a lot of adversity well and a lot of chaos with some of the injuries. "Beathard spiked the offense, going 23-of-37 for 298 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions, all for a passer rating of 82.9. Again, not great. But good enough to inspire some confidence he's made strides since last season.And it was even more impressive, given the 49ers weren't able to get running back Matt Breida going for most of the game. Breida finished with just 39 yards on nine carries. "I felt a lot more comfortable than going out there last year," Beathard told reporters following the game.At the 3:53 mark of the first quarter, Beathard hit wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for a two-yard touchdown score:It was just one of a number of throws the quarterback made in tight windows on the game.Beathard also made good use of tight end George Kittle , who led the Niners offense with six receptions, 125 yards and a touchdown.<doc-sep>With C.J. Beathard now the cemented starter at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Niner Noise breaks down what to expect in his first start of 2018 in Week 4 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. OK, so the mourning period is over for the San Francisco 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer the Niners’ starting quarterback for 2018 after suffering his season-ending ACL tear, meaning this is now second-year pro C.J. Beathard‘s show from here onward. “Onward” being the key word. The 49ers visit the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, who boast the same 1-2 record as the Niners but also possess a dangerous passing attack with veteran quarterback Philip Rivers under center. To counter, head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to ensure Beathard and the offense responds effectively enough to negate the scoring prowess Rivers and Co. can produce. If this was in the context of last year, San Francisco wouldn’t have much of a chance at all. Beathard was certainly a part of the Niners’ early struggles in 2017. Both his 54.9 completion percentage and 69.2 passer rating his rookie season ranked 31st among 32 qualifiers last year. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of confidence for the former Iowa Hawkeye. The good news, however, is Beathard possesses that full year’s worth of development. And one might make the argument the Niners offense is significantly improved over what the quarterback had to deal with when he was essentially thrown into the fire last season. Will that be enough to help San Francisco reach for its second win of 2018? It’s hard to say. But with that as a backdrop, what should we expect from Beathard in Week 4 as he and the 49ers look to upset the Chargers?<doc-sep>CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device CARSON – Here is how the 49ers (1-3) graded in Sunday’s 29-27 defeat to the host Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) before a sold-out crowd of 25,397 at the StubHub Center: PASS OFFENSE: C- C.J. Beathard’s starting debut went as expected, in that he endured some brutal hits and mixed in some positive plays but not enough to rally the undermanned 49ers. Injuries are ruining this unit’s chances, and Sunday saw knee injuries sustained by offensive tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, plus wide receiver Dante Pettis. George Kittle’s 82-yard touchdown catch keyed comeback dreams and led to his career-high 125 receiving yards. Beathard finished with 298 yards, two touchdowns and two crushing interceptions, including one that bounced off Garrett Celek’s hands and one that ended their comeback. RUN OFFENSE: D The league’s second-ranked rushing attack was held to only 3.6 yards per carry with few lanes for Matt Breida (nine carries, 39 yards) and Alfred Morris (four carries, 14 yards). Beathard had the most inspiring runs, albeit dangerous ones that exposed him to injury when they can least afford to have him hurt with Jimmy Garoppolo already done for the year. PASS DEFENSE: D+ Philip Rivers atoned for his horrendous pick-six to Antone Exum on the first series by shredding the defense for three touchdown passes and 250 yards. Coverage breakdowns keyed those touchdown drives, as did poor tackling. Greg Mabin forced a fumble and looked like an upgrade upon replacing Ahkello Witherspoon. D.J. Reed started ahead of Adrian Colbert at free safety, and although we may be reading too much into that switch, Colbert was healthy enough to play special teams. Rivers was sacked once – a weekly reminder of the 49ers’ anemic pass rush. RUN DEFENSE: D Melvin Gordon had 104 yards on only 15 carreis and averaged 6.9 yards by repeatedly running through tacklers, a season-long issue for Robert Saleh’s defense. Fred Warner and Reuben Foster still are getting acclimated to each other and the 49ers should stick with that tandem. Defensive stops in the second half kept this unit from flunking out. SPECIAL TEAMS: C- This was their worst showing in a long time, aside from Robbie Gould staying perfect (2 for 2 on field goals, 3 for 3 on point-after kicks which shouldn’t be ignored after the Chargers missed two PATs). Bradley Pinion (30.6 net average) saved a touchdown with his kick-save tackle on a 56-yard punt return. Pettis was hurt on a punt return that lost 3 yards, and Reed was lucky to have replay nullify his fumbled kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Related Articles Have 49ers been priced out of a possible Julio Jones trade? ESPN report suggests steep cost Inside the 49ers: Kittle’s comeback, Shanahan’s doodling, Warner’s extension, Garoppolo’s radio wars Pioneering coach Katie Sowers finds new spot in NFL after leaving 49ers’ staff Fred Warner ‘obviously wants to be a Niner for life’ as contract talks loom How 49ers’ running back stable is impacted by Jeff Wilson’s knee surgery COACHING: C- Kyle Shanahan’s job keeps getting harder with every devastating injury to a starter. His offensive play calls can still deliver winners, like a red-zone score by Kendrick Bourne or an 82-yard TD by Kittle on a play they’ve long practiced but waited to call until this game. Three straight pass plays backfired in the final minute before halftime, leading to a huge punt return and game-tying field goal. As for Saleh’s defense (and the punt-return defense), yikes. All three losses have come on the road, so the 49ers must rule at Levi’s to survive this injury-plagued season.<doc-sep>The 49ers began the rest of their season without Jimmy Garoppolo Sunday when they traveled south to face the Los Angeles Chargers. Kyle Shanahan’s squad put on their best face against L.A. Their valiant effort resulted in a 29-27 defeat that came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s loss: Stud: QB C.J. Beathard 49ers fans were prepared for the worst when Beathard took the field as a starter for the first time since Week 12 of last season. What they got was something far more encouraging. The 49ers’ second-year backup put on a surprising display of proficient grit against the Chargers, completing 23 of 37 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions – neither of which were entirely his fault. Beathard gave the 49ers a chance to win in his 2018 debut. Dud: TE Garrett Celek Speaking of interceptions not belonging to Beathard, Celek’s red zone drop-turned-interception and subsequent 86-yard return by the Chargers may have turned the tide of Sunday’s contest. The 49ers offense was cruising down the field in the third quarter, and with the help of some roughing the passer penalties, seemed poised to punch it in for six. Beathard targeted the veteran tight end on a short out-route. The ball bouced off his chest and into the hands of the Chargers defense. It was a deflating play and essentially a 10-point swing falling squarely on Celek’s shoulders.<doc-sep>
The San Francisco 49ers played their first game without quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and they came oh so close to getting the upset. C.J. Beathard threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns, but a late interception after a huge pass rush prevented the 49ers from getting into the needed field goal range. The Los Angeles Chargers won by a final score of 32-27. The 49ers jumped out to an early lead, getting a pick six of Philip Rivers on the third play of the game, and adding a Kendrick Bourne touchdown late in the first quarter. The 14-0 lead had most everybody surprised. However, both sides of the ball slowed down in the second quarter. The 49ers led 17-6, but gave up a field goal and a touchdown to go into halftime tied with the Chargers. The Chargers scored a touchdown and field goal in the third quarter as the 49ers were losing a war of attrition. They lost Joe Staley and Dante Pettis to knee injuries, and Mike McGlinchey was knocked out for a couple series with his own injury. McGlinchey did return, but the team struggled with injuries. The 49ers did battle back, scoring a touchdown on an 82-yard catch and run score by George Kittle, and then adding a field goal to take a 27-26 lead. The Chargers managed a field goal of their own, and after some back-and-forth, the 49ers got the ball back trailing 29-27. They were moving the ball when the Chargers pass rush got to Beathard and he was picked off by a defensive lineman. The Chargers got a needed first down and was able to take a knee to close the game out. Beathard was the star of the game for the 49ers. He made some huge plays, and his two interceptions were not really his fault. The first was a drop by Garrett Celek, and the second came when he got bum-rushed by the pass rush. I don’t think we could have asked for much more from Beathard today. Up next: vs. Arizona Cardinals (0-4) Arizona came up short in a near upset at home of the Seattle Seahawks and remain winless on the season. The 49ers will be a two or three point favorite in this game, likely one of the few remaining games in which they’ll be favored. But given how C.J. Beathard looked against the Chargers, this is a game they need to win to show some development.