3 Takeaways from 49ers' Week 9 Loss

The San Francisco 49ers will have been excited to be back at Levi's Stadium this season after the coronavirus pandemic saw them play home games in Arizona late in 2020. However, they haven't fared too well since returning to the Bay Area in 2021.

The 49ers remain winless at home after falling 31-17 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, dropping to 3-5 this season in the process.

The Cardinals wasted little time taking control, as they had a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and scored the first 17 points of the day. The 49ers trailed by 10 at halftime and never got any closer during the second half, so they fell to 0-3 in games against NFC West rivals this season.

Here are three takeaways from San Francisco's Week 9 loss.

The Defense Didn't Play as Well as It Should Have

Jed Jacobsohn/Associated Press

Arizona came into Sunday with two of its top offensive players sidelined by injuries (quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins), and wide receiver A.J. Green was also out after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Then the Cardinals lost running back Chase Edmonds, who suffered an ankle injury on their first offensive play and never returned.

That seems like it should have led to at least a solid showing for the 49ers defense. However, that was far from the case. The unit gave up 437 total yards of offense, and the Cardinals committed no turnovers and relied on standout performances from backup signal-caller Colt McCoy (249 yards and a touchdown) and running back James Conner (173 total yards and three touchdowns).

McCoy didn't throw many passes downfield. Instead, the majority of Arizona's big plays came on runs and short passes that turned into substantial gains.

"It was extremely disappointing," San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said, per The Athletic's Matt Barrows. "I don't think we tackled very well. I didn't think we had 11 guys swarming to the ball enough. I think we made it pretty easy on those guys."

After punting on their opening drive, the Cardinals scored points on six of their next seven possessions, with the lone exception coming when the clock ran out in the first half. The 49ers need to do a better job of getting stops, especially early in games against offenses that shouldn't be having that much success against them.

Kittle Had an Up-and-Down Showing in Return

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

San Francisco got a big offensive boost Sunday, as George Kittle returned from the calf injury that had caused him to miss the previous three games. And the star tight end's first game back had both highs and lows.

On Kittle's second catch (an 18-yard reception early in the first quarter), he fumbled the ball, which was recovered by the Cardinals. That immediately led to a nine-play touchdown drive.

However, Kittle also had some impressive plays. He finished with six catches for a game-high 101 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 6-yard reception with 16 seconds to go before halftime. It was a mostly strong return that was overshadowed by the result.

"Playing football is fun. Losing's not fun. But it was good," Kittle said of his first game back, per Michael Nowels and Cam Inman of The Mercury News.

San Francisco's offense is always better when Kittle is on the field, and he will likely put up some more big numbers down the stretch.

It May Be Close to Time to Play Lance, More Youngsters

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

San Francisco may only be 3-5, but it's falling out of the NFC West race. The Cardinals (8-1) and Los Angeles Rams (7-2) have sizable advantages over the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, who are also 3-5. After dropping five of its past six games, San Francisco is trending in the wrong direction.

It may be time for the 49ers to give some younger players more time on the field. Not only will it help them prepare for the future, but it could also give them the boost they need to stay alive in the NFC wild-card race.

The most notable youngster not getting playing time is quarterback Trey Lance, who has returned to a backup role now that Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy. Although Garoppolo hasn't played bad—he passed for 326 yards, two touchdowns and one interception Sunday—Lance is the future franchise QB who has flashed his potential during his rookie campaign.

Shanahan isn't considering a quarterback change after Sunday's game, saying he's "definitely not thinking about those things right now" (h/t Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk). But that may not be the right move, especially because of San Francisco's recent results.

If the 49ers' struggles continue, it will be interesting to see whether Shanahan changes his mind and when Lance will get another opportunity.