Despite losing to the Green Bay Packers 33-30 in heartbreaking fashion, the San Francisco 49ers did have a number of positive takeaways from the Monday Night Football contest, including an excellent game by quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Losses like the San Francisco 49ers' 33-30 fourth-quarter collapse on Monday Night Football versus the Green Bay Packers hurt. And it's yet another one of those games the Niners could have or should have won.
Despite the frustrating outcome, there were a few bright spots. And a big one was quarterback C.J. Beathard, who bounced back nicely after a forgettable Week 5 effort against the Arizona Cardinals in which he was charged with four of the team's five turnovers lost in that particular defeat.
Beathard did commit a turnover in the game, tossing a deep interception on a pass intended for wide receiver Marquise Goodwin. It was picked off by Packers cornerback Kevin King, who saved a would-be touchdown that would have iced the game for San Francisco when it still had the lead late in the fourth quarter. And while some may question Beathard's decision making on that particular play, or his accuracy, it's impossible to ignore the fact he actually had a stellar game -- one of two this season in which he put his team in a position to win.
"He did some good things, and some things I know he'd like to take back," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters following the game. "We'll have to learn from it, get better and find a way to win."
Late in the first quarter, Beathard hit Goodwin on an impressive 67-yard touchdown to close the Niners' deficit to 17-14. The second-year quarterback displayed both accuracy and a booming arm on the pass:
YOU'RE NOT CATCHING @marquisegoodwin!
Beathard throws a DIME for the 67-yard @49ers TD! #SFvsGB #GoNiners
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/EQU73q1WBk
— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2018
That was one of two deep passes for touchdowns between Beathard and his speedy wideout.
The quarterback finished the night going 16-of-23 for 245 yards, the two touchdown passes against an interception and a solid passer rating of 115.3.
"It hurts, it's tough," Beathard told the media following the loss. "I mean, you're so close and you feel like you should have won the game. But you just have to get back on the horse and move on to next week."
Looking at the grander scope of things, though, Beathard has now played exceptionally well in two of his three starts this season. He arguably played the best game of his pro career in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers -- a game in which the 49ers lost mainly due to defensive miscues and improper play calling. And while the game versus Arizona was bad, at least the quarterback bounced back nicely in prime time against Green Bay.
He's far from a finished product, but Beathard already looks vastly better than what he showcased a year ago.
Beathard and Co.'s life won't get much easier in Week 7, however, as the undefeated Los Angeles Rams come to town.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
