The 49ers open 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium for a 1:15 PT kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals.
J.T. O'Sullivan starts at quarterback in his first regular-season opener since 2002. Frank Gore at running back. Isaac Bruce, signed as a free agent from St. Louis, leads a thin receiver group. Vernon Davis the tight end. Mike Nolan begins his fourth year as head coach with Mike Martz as the new offensive coordinator.
Mike Nolan opens his fourth season as 49ers head coach Sunday afternoon in the desert. Mike Martz comes in as the new offensive coordinator, the kind of offensive-mind hire that has been tried at six different NFL stops and produced different results at each.
J.T. O'Sullivan, the journeyman quarterback who started his career as Brett Favre's backup in Green Bay in 2006, wins the QB1 job over Alex Smith and Shaun Hill out of training camp. Frank Gore at running back. Isaac Bruce in his first non-Rams uniform.
Favored by Arizona by 3.5 at home. Opening Sunday in a division where Arizona is the consensus pick to win.
Opening Sunday opens the NFC West. The Cardinals (with Kurt Warner) are the division favorite. The Seahawks lead the conference's deepest division for a fifth straight year. The Rams continue the post-Mike Martz rebuild. The 49ers are the wild card under Nolan-Martz. Around the conference the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Saints, and Packers lead the contender talk. The opener at Arizona is the kind of road game where a 49ers win, against the consensus West favorite, would shake the division immediately.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to last year's 5-11 finish under Nolan. Frank Gore averaged 4.3 yards a carry in 2007 with 1,102 rushing yards. Vernon Davis caught 52 passes in 2007. The defense ranked 13th in scoring. Alex Smith finished his 2007 starts at 8 TDs and 11 INTs and a 57.2 rating before season-ending shoulder surgery. Mike Martz takes over an offense that finished 26th in scoring. Vegas opens Arizona as 3.5-point home favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-0 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 0-0 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-0 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Neil Rackers 25 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| 49ers | Frank Gore 41 yard rush ( Joe Nedney kick) | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Larry Fitzgerald 1 yard pass from Kurt Warner ( Neil Rackers kick) | 10-7 |
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 39 yard field goal | 10-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Neil Rackers 31 yard field goal | 13-10 |
| Cardinals | Tim Hightower 2 yard rush ( Neil Rackers kick) | 20-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Joe Nedney 30 yard field goal | 20-13 |
| Cardinals | Neil Rackers 30 yard field goal | 23-13 |
Kurt Warner threw for 197 yards and a touchdown and the Arizona Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-13 at University of Phoenix Stadium. Edgerrin James ran for 100 yards on 26 carries. J.T. O'Sullivan threw for 195 in his 49ers debut as the starter and added an interception. Frank Gore ran for 96 and a touchdown. The 49ers' defense generated three sacks of Warner. The 49ers fell to 0-1 in the season opener.[1][2][3]
Kurt Warner went 19-of-30 for 197 and a touchdown Sunday afternoon in the desert. The Arizona Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-13 in the kind of opening Sunday road game where the offense's new identity under Mike Martz produced what the offense's new identity under Mike Martz had produced at four other NFL stops: a competitive performance and a final score in the other team's favor.
Frank Gore ran for 96 yards and a touchdown. J.T. O'Sullivan threw for 195 in his 49ers debut as the starter. Isaac Bruce caught one for 39 in his 49ers debut. Vernon Davis was a non-factor (one catch for negative yardage). The defense generated three sacks of Warner.
0-1. The opening Sunday road loss does not change the season's direction, but it does confirm that the Martz offense remains the kind of explosive-or-stalled experience the league has come to expect. The Seattle Seahawks at home next Sunday for the Candlestick opener.
Cardinals 23, 49ers 13. Margin: -10. Season opener.
* Kurt Warner: 19-of-30 for 197, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
* Edgerrin James: 26 carries for 100.
* J.T. O'Sullivan: 14-of-20 for 195, 0 TD, 1 INT (49ers debut as starter).
* Frank Gore: 14 carries for 96, 1 TD.
* Isaac Bruce: 1 catch for 39 (49ers debut).
* 49ers D: 3 sacks of Warner.
* 49ers 0-1; Cardinals 1-0.
A 23-13 road loss in Mike Martz's debut as the 49ers' offensive coordinator at University of Phoenix Stadium. The 49ers open 2008 at 0-1.
How it unfolded
Arizona kicked a field goal on its opening drive. The 49ers answered with a Frank Gore short touchdown run to make it 7-3. The Cardinals added a Warner touchdown to take a 10-7 lead at halftime. The third quarter was an Arizona field goal that made it 13-7, then a touchdown to push the lead to 20-7. The fourth quarter was a Joe Nedney field goal that made it 20-10, then another Arizona field goal that made it 23-10. The 49ers added a late field goal to make it 23-13.
The turning point
The Warner touchdown drive before halftime. With the 49ers up 7-3 and Arizona's offense looking for a way to make the most of the road defense's three sacks, Warner's touchdown changed the tempo and gave Arizona the kind of two-score-cushion lead they never gave back in the second half.
By the numbers
O'Sullivan 195 passing on 20 attempts with no TD and an INT. Gore 96 rushing on 14 carries with a TD plus 4 catches for 55. Vernon Davis 1 catch for negative yardage. Bruce 39 receiving on 1 catch. Warner 197 on 30 attempts with a TD. Edgerrin James 100 rushing.
Personnel watch
J.T. O'Sullivan in his first NFL start since 2002 (when he started one game for New England). Mike Martz in his debut as 49ers OC. Isaac Bruce in his 49ers debut (one catch). Vernon Davis a non-factor. The kind of opening Sunday where the new offensive system, billed as the team's best Martz-era operation since the Greatest Show on Turf, produced 13 points.
What it means
0-1 with the Seahawks at home next Sunday for the Candlestick opener. The kind of road loss that, on its own, does not change the season's direction but does establish the offensive identity as more conservative than the Martz public statements suggested.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 14/20 | 195 | 0 | 1 | |
| ARI | |||||
| Kurt Warner | 19/30 | 197 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 14 | 96 | 1 | 41 |
| DeShaun Foster | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| ARI | ||||
| Edgerrin James | 26 | 100 | 0 | 10 |
| Tim Hightower | 8 | 13 | 1 | 5 |
| Kurt Warner | 5 | -4 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 4 | 55 | 0 | 22 |
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 51 | 0 | 37 |
| Bryant Johnson | 3 | 48 | 0 | 31 |
| Arnaz Battle | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Zak Keasey | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| DeShaun Foster | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| ARI | ||||
| Anquan Boldin | 8 | 82 | 0 | 18 |
| Steve Breaston | 3 | 54 | 0 | 40 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | 3 | 31 | 1 | 21 |
| Tim Hightower | 3 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Leonard Pope | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Tim Castille | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2008 W1 - 49ers vs Arizona Cardinals - Game Thread
