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GLENDALE, Arizona – How often can the 49ers be so close to a victory that they can taste it?
They lost another game in the final minutes on Sunday, earning them an 18-15 decision that gave the Cardinals their second win of the season. These two victories were won at the expense of San Francisco.
This slippage is similar to that of last season when the 49ers lost five straight games by three points or less in weeks 2 to 6. The main difference is that expectations were much lower last season. The 49ers finished the year 2017 with a series of five consecutive wins and a quarter of franchise in the building. The forecast for 2018 had the playoffs as a real possibility.
[[[[RELATED: The backup center of the 49ers plays an unfortunate role in the loss]49ers coach Kyle Shanahan remained humble in the face of his team's formation in 2017, but that's not the season he was expecting. Not at 1-7, with three other losses of three points or less.
"It's difficult," Shanahan said. "The guys really hurt there, and they should be. If they were not, something is wrong with them. But it's our job. That's what we do. It's our livelihood. We are not at all happy with the end of the season and there is still half a season to play.
"So we have to step up and do something about it. The season does not end. We are not going to sit here and run away. I want guys who will go out and fight, and I thought our guys fought today. We just did not do it well enough.
"I will continue to train them, trying to improve in all areas, I know our guys are working to improve us, but we were not good enough today. [against the Raiders] can not come fast enough. "
Quarterback C. J. Beathard started slowly, but was able to gain ground in the third quarter. He finished the day by completing 14 of his 28 passes for 190 yards, a touchdown and a score of 83.9. He is no stranger to narrow losses, he also experienced them last season.
"Yeah, I mean, there are so many that we think we could or should have won," Beathard said. "But we are at what we have not done and we are where we are right now. We have eight games left. We must continue to move forward. "
Cornerback Richard Sherman is not part of a losing franchise of the NFL since his first season with the Seahawks in 2011. He still believes in the 49ers' mental resolve.
"We are fighting," said Sherman. "Fighting, unfortunately we do not get the results, it's one of the toughest losses I've seen, we fought the whole game [Sunday]and they played the last four or five minutes, but not us.
"The guys have learned to fight, if nothing else, we'll know how to fight, and the guys are doing it, we just have to find a way to make those games."
Kendrick Bourne replaced Pierre Garçon, who was kept out of the game due to a knee injury. He was the 49ers' broadest receiver, scoring seven of his 10 targets for 71 yards. He has no question about the loss of concentration of the team after such emotional losses.
"No doubt," said Bourne. "Nobody smiles. This game, in the same way as the last time, is frustrating. We dominated them and simply did not finish what we needed. We must find a way to solve this problem. "
[[[[RELATED: 49ers talked to Garcon about a possible trade]Back Kyle Juszczyk thinks that if the losses have been frustrating, this is a learning opportunity for the younger 49ers.
"It's quite emotionally challenging, to be quite honest with you," said Juszczyk, "but you have to look for some positive elements. I see young people getting used to being in critical situations. Right now, we are learning somehow not to do. This is a positive point that I can draw.
"This team is incredibly resilient. I feel that we remain very positive. So, yes, I have the impression that we stay in there. "
The 49ers have a short week, facing the Raiders on Thursday night. They will have to get rid of this loss and start getting ready, which could be the best thing for them.
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