Niners' Late Rally Can't Stave Off Eighth Straight Defeat

On Sunday afternoon, the 49ers took the ball away from Arizona four times and held Cardinals star running back David Johnson to just 55 rushing yards.

Still, San Francisco came up short.

The 49ers drove for a touchdown to tie the game with 2 minutes remaining in Arizona, with a revitalized Colin Kaepernick getting into the end zone on a 4-yard run, yet wound up losing, 23-20. The Cardinals came right back to drive from their own 15-yard line to get a 34-yard game-winning field goal by Chandler Catanzaro with no time left.

The loss – San Francisco’s closest of 2016 -- drops the 49ers to 1-8 this season, and their losing streak to eight straight after a season-opening win over the Rams.

The 49ers fell behind 14-0 early and 20-10 at the half before rallying in the third and fourth quarters.

San Francisco took advantage of its fourth takeaway – an interception by linebacker Gerald Hodges at the 49ers’ 43-yard line – with 3:13 remaining to force the Cardinals’ late heroics.

Kaepernick hit Jeremy Kerley for 24 yards, scrambled for 19 yards, hit tight end Vance McDonald for 8 yards to the Cardinals 4 and then swept in for the TD. Phil Dawson’s extra point tied the game 20-20.

Quickly, however, the Cardinals (now 4-4-1) moved down the field on passes from Carson Palmer to Larry Fitzgerald and Johnson, with Johnson also picking up some yards on the ground before Catanzaro decided the game.

It was a second straight strong game for Kaepernick, who completed 17-of-30 throws – with several drops – for 210 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. He also was the team’s leading rusher with 55 yards on 10 carries.

The 49ers played much better defense to keep themselves in the game, picking off Palmer twice and recovering two fumbles while containing Johnson on the ground. Johnson came into the game as the NFL's leader in yards from scrimmage.

An opposing running back had run for 100 yards or more in seven consecutive games against the 49ers, an NFL record, before Sunday.

The 49ers will host the New England Patriots this coming Sunday at 1:25 p.m.