The San Francisco 49ers suffered a nasty loss in Week 5, with the Arizona Cardinals coming again within the fourth quarter for a 24-23 win. In a single sense, nonetheless, the 49ers’ destiny might have been sealed late within the first half.
49ers kicker Jake Moody harm his ankle late within the first half whereas making an attempt to make a deal with on a kickoff throughout Sunday’s sport at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. The harm was severe sufficient that Moody by no means returned to the sport and really needed to be carted off the sector.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was pressed into responsibility because the crew’s emergency kicker and really made a 26-yard discipline aim to finish the primary half. Nonetheless, the Niners didn’t lean on that within the second half and it harm them considerably in a single second late within the third quarter.
The 49ers obtained the ball right down to Arizona’s 13-yard line whereas holding a 23-13 lead late within the third, however a false begin penalty, a sack and an incompletion backed them as much as 4th-and-23 from Arizona’s 27. Underneath regular circumstances, this is able to be no downside, as a 44-yard discipline aim strive can be nicely inside vary to your normal NFL kicker. With no dependable possibility, although, the 49ers tried for a fourth-down dialog, one which didn’t come near success.
As an alternative of creating it 26-13 by way of a discipline aim with the fourth quarter looming, the Niners got here away with nothing and the door was left open to the Cardinals to come back again. They did so, engineering two scoring drives within the fourth, together with a landing and a two-point conversion. Arizona received 24-23.
This has been a nightmare season for the 49ers on the harm entrance, however dropping their kicker mid-game is a brand new one and it in all probability straight value them a victory. It additionally demonstrates why some groups have at least considered using non-kickers on kickoffs as a way to keep away from exposing precise kickers to moments identical to the one Moody skilled.
