Five Takeaways From 49ers 24-20 Week 1 Loss to Cardinals

The "Revenge Tour" is not off to an ideal start for the San Francisco 49ers.

Losing to the Arizona Cardinals 24-20 at home in Week 1 is outright inexcusable. It does not matter if Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were out, this is a game the 49ers should have emerged victorious.

Now they start off the season in a hole as they ready up for their New York trip for the next two weeks.

Before getting into their cross-country trip, there are five takeaways that really stuck with me from their loss.

Jimmy Garoppolo is still a one-read quarterback

Vision and decision-making were the top faults of Jimmy Garoppolo last season. If he was to take the next step in his development, then he would need to polish up on these faults. Judging from his Week 1 performance, it looks like he didn't work on it at all. In a game where he was without his second-best wide receiver, Garoppolo needed to step up.

Unfortunately, he just wasn't able to look for other options once his first read was taken away. He just looked lost out there, like he didn't know where to go with the ball once his top choice was removed. Pass protection sometimes forced his hand to panic, but overall Garoppolo left a lot of open receivers on the table.

Kendrick Bourne fumbles his first big opportunity

All offseason Kendrick Bourne could not help but to constantly post his workout videos. Those videos suddenly turned him into this valiant wide receiver who was going to drop 800-plus receiving yards and double digit touchdowns. Well, Sunday was his first big opportunity to showcase his growth with Samuel and Aiyuk out, and boy was he irrelevant.

In a game where Garoppolo needed others to step up, because clearly he could not himself, Bourne was no where to be found. Of course, there was the one play in the endzone where if Garoppolo zips it to him he would have ended up with the touchdown. But For a guy who has No. 1 wide receiver swagger, he sure doesn't perform like it.

Dre Greenlaw needs to be the nickel linebacker

Remember how elite Kwon Alexander was in coverage prior to tearing his pectoral muscle? Feels like those days are over now, or at least he isn't the best option in coverage for the 49ers. The best option going forward is Dre Greenlaw. He needs to be the nickel linebacker. Where Alexander looked lost and out of place, Greenlaw looked steady and firm in coverage.

Greenlaw earned a superb 91.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. He just has a knack for finding the ball. I describe him as a heat-seeking missile because he is always around the ball and is flying with intense speed. Look no further than the tipped pass he had that turned into an interception for Jaquiski Tartt. They don't call him "Big Play Dre" for nothing.

Is Robert Saleh incapable of making adjustments?

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is one of the best defensive coaches in the league. However, watching his defense against the Cardinals would make you second guess that. It is one thing to allow Kyler Murray to run rampant, because defending mobile quarterbacks is insanely difficult. It is another thing to allow DeAndre Hopkins to explode for 14 catches.

All I could think to myself is why does Saleh continue to allow the Cardinals to run their offense through their best player? Let someone else beat you. Make an adjustment and have Richard Sherman shadow Hopkins. But apparently Saleh is incapable of making adjustments? It was just so bizarre to see Saleh tolerate it. His lack of adjustments factored into the Niners' loss.

Jerick McKinnon is a reliable target

The return of Jerick "Jet" McKinnon was widely anticipated for the 49ers. Seeing him back was an accomplishment in it of itself. McKinnon proved himself as a reliable target, which is exactly what the 49ers wanted and need from him. McKinnon as both a running back and a receiver is going to bring the 49ers some phenomenal plays.

The more he gets acquainted with the offense and the live game speed, the more flash plays he will have. As of now, I would say he is the much better option running the football than Tevin Coleman. McKinnon was so close to converting on that touchdown that the 49ers failed to capitalize on. He is going to be a sight to see this season.