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CARSON — The 49ers couldn’t protect a 17-6 lead, couldn’t stay healthy, couldn’t finish a fourth-quarter comeback and couldn’t keep the Los Angeles Chargers from prevailing 29-27 Sunday.
All eyes, of course, were on C.J. Beathard, and he made a valiant comeback attempt for the 49ers (1-3) in his first start this season, on the heels of Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury a week earlier.
“He gave us a chance to win today,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He played very tough and made some big plays, especially in situations with guys going in and out. He handled adversity well and a little chaos with some of the injuries.”
Beathard got hit a lot, as expected, but even more so once left tackle Joe Staley exited with a first-half knee injury, the severity of which is unknown yet concerning.
The Chargers (2-2) attacked that left side to produce the game-deciding play: safety Derwin James blitzed past running back Alfred Morris, raced in to hit Beathard, then the ball bounced off center Weston Richburg and right to defensive end Isaac Rochell for an interception with 2:31 left.
“That last play was unfortunate,” Shanahan said. “I wish (Beathard) would have saw that and got rid of it.”
Said Beathard: “Yeah, I was trying to see if I could get it out before (James’ hit).”
The Chargers (2-2) never gave the ball back.
Beathard, like several other 49ers this game, got hurt along the way. Specifically, he took a hard hit into his right (throwing) shoulder after scrambling to the Chargers’ 15-yard line with 12:43 remaining. He said he only had the wind knocked out of him, that his shoulder is fine and that he passed a concussion check to return on the next series.
“I knew I was OK. I just couldn’t, like, breathe,” Beathard said. “I got my air knocked out really bad and I knew it would come back eventually.”
Nick Mullens, promoted last week from the practice squad, would have taken the next snap if a replay ruling had given the 49ers a first down on Beathard’s 4-yard scramble.
Now, after nearly losing Beathard a week after losing Garoppolo, Shanahan would not rule out the possibility of adding a quarterback this week, though he noted that reinforcements also are needed elsewhere. Others to sustain injuries were Staley, right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee), wide receivers Dante Pettis (knee) and Marquise Goodwin (hamstring), defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (shoulder), running back Matt Breida (shoulder stinger) and center Weston Richburg (knee).
Through all the pains and turnovers, the 49ers battled a Chargers offense led by veteran quarterback Philip Rivers (250 yards, 3 TDs) and running back Melvin Gordon (159 all-purpose yards).
The 49ers even wrestled back the lead with 12:39 remaining, doing so on Robbie Gould’s 33-yard field goal. It was the 33rd consecutive field-goal attempt Gould has made, and it came one play after Beathard’s injury. That lead barely lasted five minutes until the Chargers kicked their own go-ahead field goal. It came after a strong, goal-line stand by the 49ers defense, and only after Greg Mabin and D.J. Reed missed tackles on Melvin Gordon’s 34-yard run to the 49ers 4-yard line.
KEY IMPRESSIONS
JUDGING BEATHARD: After a so-so first half (14-of-21, 108 yards, 1 TD), Beathard really came alive in the second half to try regaining the lead. An 82-yard touchdown strike to George Kittle stoked the comeback bid. And Beathard’s ever-gutsy, scrambling ability resulted in a go-ahead scoring drive on Gould’s kick. He finished 23-of-37 for 298 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and one sack, plus seven carries for 19 yards.
“He played the game angry. That’s just how he plays it, and it’s awesome,” Kittle said. “C.J. has more grit than anyone I know.” Kittle has known Beathard since their Iowa days, and they connected for six completions and 125 yards Sunday.
Beathard’s moxie also inspired the 49ers defense. “I could see it in his eyes,” Reuben Foster said. “Every time he came to the sideline (saying): ‘Defense, let’s go. We’ve got your back. We’re riding with y’all.’ By him saying that, it means a lot to me and the defense.”
Signs of a comeback surfaced early in the third quarter when Beathard completed four consecutive passes and survived two roughing-the-passer penalties. He then threw a potential 8-yard touchdown strike to Celek, only to have the ball ricochet for a Trevor Williams interception. Williams got tackled at the 49ers’ 12, setting up a Chargers field goal and 26-17 deficit.
INJURY ISSUES: Knee injuries are hammering the 49ers offense, the latest casualties being Staley (right knee), McGlinchey (left knee) and Pettis (left knee). They also felled running back Jerick McKinnon a week before the opener and Garoppolo last Sunday.
Staley declined comment on his status. He got hurt when Beathard got knocked into him on a safety blitz by James midway through the second quarter. Pettis’ injury came on 2 minutes into the game on a punt return. McGlinchey gutted out his injury, missing only the initial series after halftime. He got hurt on the 49ers final offensive snap of the first half.
All other players who got hurt also returned to action. Said Shanahan: “When you lose guys like that – I haven’t been around too many of (those games) — but I was glad the guys still battled and gave us a chance to win at the end.”
COVERAGE WOES: Multiple blown coverages kept the 49ers from protecting their lead, and the Chargers attacked them underneath rather than test safeties Exum and D.J. Reed. Let’s summarize the touchdown breakdowns:
First TD: Ahkello Witherspoon bit inside on a crossing route, Foster stayed with his man and tight end Antonio Gates was wide open for a 5-yard touchdown catch.
Second TD: With 47 seconds to spare until hafltime, the Chargers exploited Fred Warner’s struggles when covering running backs, and that paid off with a 22-yard TD catch by Austin Ekeler. Then, on the 2-point conversion, Rivers dumped a pass to Ingram.
Third TD: Rivers threw a third-down, 6-yard strike to Gordon as neither Witherspoon nor Foster could prevent the TD catch.
KEY PLAYERS
49ers QB C.J. Beathard: In his first start since November, he was 23-of-37, 298 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions. He had seven carries for 19 yards.
Chargers QB Philip Rivers: The 15th-year veteran was 24-of-38 for 240 yards with three touchdowns and the lone interception that Exum returned for a touchdown.
Chargers RB Melvin Gordon: He was a nightmare to tackle, and he produced 104 rushing yards (15 carries) plus 55 receiving yards and a touchdown (7 catches).
49ers TE George Kittle: He totaled 6 receptions for 125 yards on eight targets. He had three third-down conversion catches on one drive.
49ers RB Matt Breida: He played through a knee injury and finished with 39 rushing yards (nine carries) and 32 receiving yards (three catches)
