The officials giveth; the officials taketh away.
The Cardinals got a rare overturn on a challenge for pass interference to set them up at the San Francisco 3-yard line on their first drive. But they had to a settle for a 26-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal after Charles Clay’s 2-yard touchdown catch was called back by offensive pass interference on Christian Kirk.
Kirk was the beneficiary of Al Riveron’s decision to call pass interference on the 49ers.
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman tackled Kirk before the ball arrived on a long pass from Kyler Murray. Officials inexplicably didn’t throw a flag, prompting a Kliff Kingsbury challenge.
He won, giving the Cardinals 41 yards and setting up Gonzalez’s chip-shot field goal.
The Cardinals scored a touchdown on their second possession, with Larry Fitzgerald catching a 5-yard score from Murray with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter. Gonzalez missed the extra point.
It has the Cardinals off to a 9-0 lead after the first quarter.
The 49ers have only one first down and 11 yards, with Jimmy Garoppolo completing one of four passes for 4 yards in the first period.
