49ers Waste Another Double-Digit Lead in Loss to Arizona

No lead is ever safe for the 49ers after they wasted another double-digit lead to lose 24-23 to the Cardinals.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

What do the San Francisco 49ers and a cookie have in common?

They both crumble when the pressure is on. For the second time this season, the 49ers waste another double-digit lead to lose 24-23 to the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers went into halftime holding a 13-point lead. However, they would get shut out by the Cardinals in the second half. It was an embarrassing performance overall by the 49ers' offense. Red zone woes continued again for the 49ers. They settled for field goals on three of their red zone trips.

To make matters worse, they lost kicker Jake Moody after he attempted to make a tackle on kickoff coverage. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact issue(s), but one thing is for sure: the 49ers have to do something different. Whatever it is they have been doing isn't working. They cannot continue to be such a mediocre team in the red zone. They have way too much talent to be so inefficient.

A touchdown on every trip isn't going to happen, but it has to be way better than it is. This is why the 49ers are having trouble putting away teams. It happened in this game. If the 49ers were able to score one more touchdown on any of their red zone trips, then they would've won this game easily. Instead, they allowed the Cardinals to make it a contentious battle.

The bright side is that Brandon Aiyuk woke up. He finally had his explosion game reeling in eight catches for 147 yards. It was a reminder of why the 49ers gave him a lucrative contract extension. Aiyuk is a tremendous player. He is their best receiver who can separate against defenders at will. He's been doing so all season long despite his low numbers.

Today he was finally able to match his separation with the stats. Look for Aiyuk to continue this amazing form that he is on. The 49ers are going to need him to because they are able to generate more explosive plays successfully.

As for the rest of the offense, only George Kittle is worth mentioning. He played really well and is trekking towards another All-Pro season. Jordan Mason was playing well too, averaging over six yards per carry. However, Mason fumbled the ball at a critical moment when the 49ers were in the red zone. Go figure.

Right now, the 49ers are NOT a playoff caliber team and it's going to take a lot for them to change that outlook.