Bar » Meanwhile, Kittle couldn’t be slowed down in the first half

CARSON Colin Kaepernick Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Although C.J. Beathard knew he should slide, the San Francisco 49ers desperately needed a first down in the fourth quarter of a two-point game.So Beathard kept running toward Casey Hayward, and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Pro Bowl cornerback knocked the wind clean out of the quarterback with a devastating shoulder hit.“Especially in a situation like that, on third down when you’re inches away from converting, it could change the game if we get that first,” Beathard said. “If I could do it again, I’d do the same thing.”Beathard didn’t get that first down. After he caught his breath, the Niners still dropped to 1-3 with a 29-27 loss Sunday.But after the first game of Beathard’s second stint as San Francisco’s accidental starting quarterback, his teammates and coaches were enthusiastically confident in his ability to fill in splendidly for Jimmy Garoppolo this season.“He gave us a chance to win today,” Niners 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 went 23 of 37 for 298 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Chargers Richard Sherman Color Rush Jersey , capably connecting on a series of big throws — none bigger than an 82-yard touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle late in the third quarter.He also showcased the resilience and toughness of a third-round draft pick trying to seize the chance he’s been given by Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury .“C.J. has got more grit than anybody that I know,” said Kittle, Beathard’s college teammate at Iowa. “He’s got a severe dad bod. He can run longer than anybody I’ve ever known, which is kind of crazy, and he can take any hit. So it’s pretty cool. Don’t know how he does it.”The 49ers lost both of Beathard’s starting offensive tackles to injuries at StubHub Center. Joe Staley didn’t return, while Mike McGlinchey came back in less-than-ideal shape. The Chargers were credited with eight quarterback hits and one sack of Beathard, along with plenty of regular pressure, particularly in the second half.Beathard took it all and came back for more.“Ain’t no room for being sweet, (and) there ain’t nothing sweet about C.J.,” 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster said. “So that’s why we have faith and we believe in C.J. It was really not surprising, but it was surprising because I could see it in his eyes every time he came on the sideline, like https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Jaquiski-Tartt-Jersey , ‘Defense, let’s go. We’ve got your back. We ride with y’all.’ Just him saying that means a lot to me and the defense, because you know where his head is at.”Beathard dropped to 1-5 as an NFL starter with this loss, but his teammates loved his moxie. Hayward’s big hit sent Beathard to the sideline — once he could stand up again — but he returned for the 49ers’ final two offensive series.“I knew I was OK,” Beathard said dismissively. “I just couldn’t breathe. I got my air knocked out pretty bad, and I was able to come back eventually. I felt fine.”If Beathard had actually got that first down, the 49ers would have had to give the next snap to Nick Mullens, who was promoted last week from the practice squad. Shanahan said the Niners will look at signing another backup quarterback this week.Los Angeles essentially ended the game by forcing Beathard’s second interception with 2:31 to play.Derwin James’ blitz sent the ball out of Beathard’s hands, and it hit center Weston Richburg before the Bolts’ Isaac Rochell grabbed it for an interception.Shanahan said he wished Beathard “would have saw that and got rid of it,” but Beathard said he was trying to get the ball away before the Chargers’ disruptive rookie safety got to him. It was another failed gamble, but the 49ers will accept it if Beathard continues to grow from these painful experiences.“He is going to be a great quarterback in this league,” Niners running back Matt Breida said. “He is a tough competitor Mike Person Jersey , as you can see. He’ll take the ball and run with it, take big hits, and get up and get back in the game. It’s going to be hard to get C.J. out of the game.” SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The Broncos looked beleaguered, beat up and undermanned against the lowly San Francisco 49ers.Overmatched, too? You bet.Short-handed they were, and it sure showed. Yet on this day, George Kittle might have been too much even if Denver had been at full strength.Case Keenum got going too late in a 20-14 loss to San Francisco on Sunday, four days after top target Emmanuel Sanders went down with a torn left Achilles tendon in practice Wednesday.The Broncos (6-7) were out of sorts early, then trying to play catch-up from a 20-0 deficit that saw Kittle take apart the defense time and again on the way to an 85-yard touchdown catch, 210 yards receiving and becoming the 49ers’ first tight end to reach 1,000 yards receiving.“Simply Patrick Willis Color Rush Jersey , we didn’t play well, no excuses. We can’t point fingers,” coach Vance Joseph said. “That team came out and outplayed us, in the first half especially. Our record right now, we’re still in it. Every game now is a must win. We haven’t talked about that, but we have to now. Every game that we play from now on is a must win.”Phillip Lindsay ran for a 3-yard score in the third then Keenum connected with DaeSean Hamilton on a 1-yard touchdown toss with 3:53 remaining. Keenum went 24 of 42 for 186 yards.He surely missed Sanders, who led the team with 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns in a bounce-back year. His injury came three days after star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. broke his leg, leaving the Broncos without seven starters from their season opener.“It’s tough,” Keenum said. “They’re guys you can’t replace.”Tim Patrick and Hamilton had seven receptions apiece, Patrick finishing with 85 yards receiving and Hamilton with 47, but most of their production came in the second half playing from way behind.“We got off to a slow start and then we picked it up in the second half,” Patrick said. “We just had to get it going. It was the first time as an offense all together in there. We were kind of shaky in the beginning https://www.49ersfanshop.com/Jerick-Mckinnon-Jersey , but once we got it clicking it was hard to stop us.”Meanwhile, Kittle couldn’t be slowed down in the first half, when he had all seven of his catches and 210 yards. He was only targeted once after halftime.After the game, Joseph reiterated how the Broncos must not beat themselves by falling way behind and making it harder.Denver had two defensive holding penalties in a four-play span in the first quarter and 11 total penalties for 62 yards.“We just have to be consistent,” nose tackle Shelby Harris said. “We can’t go out in the first half and go down 20-0.”There were a few defensive highlights.Von Miller sacked Nick Mullens for a 9-yard loss late in the second quarter. Including the postseason, Miller’s 103½ sacks matched the franchise record held by Simon Fletcher.Linebacker Bradley Chubb had two more sacks for 12 on the season to break Miller’s franchise rookie record of 11½ set in 2011.Miller was angry about his own miscues.“I had three false starts, and that’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m a gambling man, and I broke today. I didn’t play like I’m supposed to today.”Most of the Broncos will be echoing those sentiments.“Now, it’s back to the lab,” Miller said.