A team’s kicker typically isn’t the most crucial player, especially on a star-studded team like the 49ers. However, in San Francisco’s narrow 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, kicker Jake Moody’s absence due to injury played a significant role.
The incident occurred after the 49ers blocked a Cardinals field-goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown, increasing their lead to 19-10 with 4:59 left in the second quarter. On the following kickoff, Arizona’s DeeJay Dallas returned the ball to the 38-yard line, where Moody tried to make a tackle but ended up injuring his right ankle.
Moody was assessed on the field by the team’s medical staff before being carted off. Initially listed as questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the rest of the game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan later confirmed that Moody had suffered a high ankle sprain and that the team would immediately look for a temporary replacement ahead of their “Thursday Night Football” game against the Seattle Seahawks.
“We’ll start working on that right away,” Shanahan said regarding finding a fill-in kicker. “Kickers are like independent contractors, so we’ll bring someone in as quickly as possible. It’s probably going to be a few weeks before he’s back.”
Moody expressed relief that the injury wasn’t more severe, although he acknowledged it would sideline him for a while. “Thankfully, I didn’t hear anything break or crack,” he said. “But I knew right away that something was wrong.”
This wasn’t Moody’s first ankle injury; he mentioned that he had broken the same ankle while playing safety in eighth grade. Sunday’s injury might have been avoided if the 49ers’ special teams had stopped Dallas before he reached Moody, but Shanahan stated he wouldn’t discourage his kicker from trying to make a tackle.
“You never tell guys not to try to make a stop,” Shanahan said. “You hope it doesn’t come down to your kicker having to make the tackle, but you don’t tell them to step aside either.”
Moody’s absence impacted the 49ers’ game strategy, as they were left without a reliable kicker for the rest of the game. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky managed to make a 26-yard field goal just before halftime, but later in the game, the team had to make difficult decisions due to Wishnowsky’s limited range. At one point, they chose to go for it on fourth-and-23 rather than attempt a long field goal, which led to a turnover on downs.
The game ended with the 49ers trailing by one point and with a chance to win before quarterback Brock Purdy threw a decisive interception. Shanahan indicated that if the offense had advanced further, they would have needed to reach the Cardinals’ 15-yard line to give Wishnowsky a shot at a game-winning field goal.
Despite Moody’s injury being a significant setback, it was ultimately other errors at crucial moments that led to the 49ers’ defeat.
