The San Francisco 49ers lost a nail-biter to the Los Angeles Chargers, 29-27, in Week 4. Los Angeles erased an early 14-0 deficit and was able to hang on in the final minutes to secure the win. The Chargers improved to 2-2 while the 49ers dropped to 1-3. Here's what you need to know from Sunday.
1. C.J. Beathard gave the 49ers everything on Sunday. He threw for 292 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Both picks arguably weren't his fault. The first certainly wasn't. San Francisco was in the red zone and a pass bounced off the hands of Garrett Celek and into the arms of Chargers defensive back Trevor Williams. The second came on San Francisco's final drive when Beathard got hit in the pocket. The ball popped loose and Chargers defensive lineman Isaac Rochell caught it before it hit the ground.
The touchdowns went to Kendrick Bourne and George Kittle. Bourne caught his on a quick slant from 2-yards out. Kittle found himself wide open downfield for what turned into an 82-yard touchdown catch. The tight end showcased his speed as he ran away from the Chargers secondary on his way into the end zone. Overall, the 49ers couldn't have asked for any more out of Beathard. He was very impressive.
"He gave us a chance to win," Kyle Shanahan said postgame.
2. San Francisco's defense got off to a hot start as Antone Exum ended the Chargers first drive with a pick six. It was the safety's first career interception and marked the defense's first pick of the season. Philip Rivers was looking for Keenan Allen on third down, but Exum read it perfectly and jumped the route. He was starting in place of Jaquiski Tartt, who missed his second straight game with a shoulder injury.
3. The 49ers run defense, which had been rock solid through three games, got gashed by Melvin Gordon. The Chargers running back racked up 104 rushing yards on just 15 carries. Gordon forced several missed tackles on the day, highlighted by his 34-yard run in the second half. He also caught seven passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
4. The secondary looked much improved, limiting Rivers to 250 yards through the air and Keenan Allen to just 63 receiving yards. That success was carried over to third down where the 49ers held the Chargers to just 4-of-14. Greg Mabin subbed into the game for Jimmie Ward and played well in his first extended action of the season.
5. Sheldon Day recorded his first sack of the year which stood as San Francisco's lone sack of the game.
6. Beathard showed off the toughness that earned him the respect of his teammates. The second-year quarterback took a few big hits. On one third-down scramble, Beathard lunged for the first-down marker before taking a shoulder to the sternum. Beathard got the wind knocked out of him but never missed a snap.
7. The 49ers continue to be decimated by injuries. Joe Staley (knee) and Dante Pettis (knee) both left the game and did not return. Mike McGlinchey (knee) and Matt Breida both left the game briefly but returned.
8. Kittle finished the game with six receptions for a career high 125 yards, highlighted by the 82-yard score. The tight end is currently on pace for 1,264 yards in 2018. He'll continue to be a go-to option for Beathard.
9. Breida ran the ball nine times for 39 yards and added three catches for 32 yards. It will be important to monitor Breida during the week to see how he came out of this game. He's likely to be limited in practice again as it was evident that he wasn't 100 percent.
10. Reuben Foster was all over the place and looked to be much-improved from his season debut in Week 3. He had seven tackles while Fred Warner led the team with 10. Warner now has double digit tackles in each of his first four games.
