49ers tight end George Kittle is back in the lineup, but he may still have some rust to knock off after missing the last three games with a calf injury.
Kittle was stripped of the ball by Cardinals cornerback Byron Murphy after an 18-yard gain in the first quarter and linebacker Jordan Hicks recovered to set the Cardinals up near midfield. James Conner ran five times for 29 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown that put the Cardinals up 7-0 with just under nine minutes off the clock in Santa Clara.
Conner is in the game because Chase Edmonds hurt his ankle on the team’s first offensive play. The Cardinals were already playing without quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green, so the Edmonds loss leaves them even thinner on skill position players.
Colt McCoy is playing in place of Murray and he’s 5-of-7 for 36 yards in early action.
