In a must-win game, the 49ers did not score a touchdown
To begin the game, we saw our first glimpse of the San Francisco 49ers offense. Unsurprisingly, the first pass went to Deebo Samuel. It was incomplete, followed by a 1-yard run from Isaac Guerendo and another incompletion to George Kittle.
Dre Greenlaw made an impact on the second play of the game by drawing a holding penalty against the Rams’ left tackle, Alaric Jackson. Greenlaw was aggressive, and Jackson couldn’t do anything but reach out and grab Greenlaw.
That penalty backed the Rams up and into a 3rd & long, where Deommodore Lenoir nearly came up with an interception.
It didn’t take long for the 49ers to get going on the second drive, as Brock Purdy found George Kittle for a 33-yard gain. But friendly fire by Deebo Samuel and a third down run that went nowhere ended a drive at midfield before the 49ers could make any more progress.
Jake Moody’s 53-yard field goal was good to give San Francisco an early 3-0 lead.
The defense did its job on the second drive. Well, mostly. Talanoa Hufanga read the play perfectly but, with one hand, couldn’t haul in the pass.
The offense went three-and-out again after a third-down pass to Kittle fell incomplete. It was another series that involved a Deebo touch, but not one for Jauan Jennings. After Greenlaw made a couple of tackles, the offense got the ball back after another quick three-and-out.
Jennings was targeted this time. But an off-target pass by Brock Purdy on 2nd & 6 and a sack stalled another drive. How long could the defense hold the Rams down? We are about to find out.
The 49ers got a brief scare when Fred Warner walked off the field. He returned a play later. The defense, once again, forced a three-and-out. The rain impacted the Rams. Their timing routes in the passing game were off, and a ball went right through Kyren Williams’s hands on one play.
It was the first time Rams head coach Sean McVay went four drives without picking up a first down. It was the 11th quarter this season Los Angeles went without scoring a touchdown.
Jennings came through for the 49ers once again on third down for an 18-yard gain. Ahkello Witherspoon was flagged for holding, but the offense declined the penalty. A deep shot to Kittle looked like pass interference, but there was no call.
Jennings couldn’t hang on to a third-down pass, and the 48ers were forced to punt again. Pat O’Donnell’s punt pinned the Rams at the three. Naturally, that was when Los Angeles picked up their first first down of the game.
On 3rd & 10, Matthew Stafford scrambled for a first down. A few plays later, the Rams picked up another first down. But Evan Anderson beat his man for a quarterback hit on first down. Yetur Gross-Matos had a sack, and the Rams scoring threat was over.
The rain finally reached the 49ers as Jennings dropped a pass to begin the next drive. The rain was consistent during the first half and was expected to slow down by the third quarter. It looked as if the rain really began to pick up before the half. Purdy was sacked, and the Rams would take over at midfield with just under five minutes to play in the half.
On 4th & 2, the Rams lined up as if they would go for it. But the way the 49ers defensive line had been playing, it would have been a tall task to pick up two yards. The Rams elected to kick a 48-yarder, and it was right down the middle to tie the score at 3.
That was a massive victory for the Niners’ defense to keep the Rams out of the end zone. In the first half, Los Angeles averaged 2.8 yards per play. They couldn’t accomplish anything, and the Niners’ defensive line was in complete control. Greenlaw was making plays, as was Hufanga. It looked like the bully ball defense from yesteryear.
To his credit, Shanahan didn’t sit on the ball before the first half. He was aggressive and threw the ball on every down. The offense punted, but that doesn’t mean it was the incorrect thing to do — especially knowing the Rams received the ball to begin the second half.
Dre Greenlaw has played in 27 of the possible 30 defensive snaps for the 49ers in his first game back. So much for easing him back in. He leads the defense in tackles and run stops. Greenlaw has double (4) the run stops as any other Niners defender. Nick Bosa played 19 of the 30.
The 49ers’ defense did not disappoint at the beginning of the half. The Rams went three-and-out once again. Jacob Cowing had a 12-yard return. Up until that point, he had 51 return yards on five tries, including a 17-yarder. He had punt returns of 12, 17, and 10.
The offense ran the ball more successfully on the first drive than it had all game. Guerendo gained 8, 4, and 10 yards on the drive.
On 3rd & 10, Deebo was wide open, and Purdy put it on him. Deebo looked up and saw nobody in front of him. Unfortunately, he looked up and forgot to secure the catch. Instead of taking a 10-3 lead, the 49ers settled for a 47-yard field goal from Jake Moody to take a 6-3 lead.
If Samuel had caught that, it would have felt like the nail in the coffin. Instead, the Rams stayed alive and didn’t feel the pressure of needing to score a touchdown.
The defense got their hands on another Stafford pass. This one was tipped in the air before landing on the ground harmlessly. Charvarius Ward was in perfect position, but for the third time, the Niners couldn’t catch one of Stafford’s throws. He’d sneak it for a yard to pick up the first down and keep the Rams drive alive.
Mooney left momentarily, which meant snaps for Isaac Yiadom. Dre Greenlaw was also off the field. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles came in and stayed in at Nickel over De’Vondre Campbell. Flannigan-Fowles was pancaked on a screen pass, and the Rams picked up another first down.
Greenlaw limped off the field and did not have his helmet next to him on the sideline. That was a sign that he would not return. As the Rams continued to drive, Yiadom, Flannigan-Fowles, and Tashaun Gipson were all on the field.
A holding penalty backed the Rams up, but they still had a 3rd & 4 opportunity. Warner did a fantastic job of getting into the throwing window and taking Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua away.
The Rams had a 17-play drive that took over nine minutes off the clock but were forced to settle for a field goal. It could have been a devasting touchdown after Samuel’s drop, but the offense had life.
However, they began the drive in the wrong direction. An offensive pass interference on Kittle made it 1st and 20.
Purdy gave Deebo an opportunity on 2nd & 20. It was dicey, but it also went right through Samuel’s hands. It was another punt, and the defense would take the field after the offense possessed the ball for just one minute and ten seconds.
You knew the Rams would take a shot down the field at some point. Stafford found Nacua on a busted coverage for a gain of 51 yards. Ward looked like he was expecting help from Hufanga, who was underneath.
But Fred Warner made a tremendous play on 3rd & 2, coming across the formation to tackle Kyren Williams on a short pass and force a field goal. The Rams took a 9-6 lead, but the drive only took three minutes off the clock.
Ricky Pearsall got involved on the ensuing drive. He caught his first target for a first down. He had another opportunity for a big play. It was almost a carbon copy from Sunday’s miss. Purdy had Pearsall, but he didn’t give Pearsall room to run under the throw, and the pass was incomplete.
On 2nd & 10, Purdy forced the ball into double coverage to Jennings. It was an overthrow and a play Jennings had zero chance of making. It was a horrific decision at the worst possible time. It was unnecessary, given that the offense was already in field goal range.
After that throw, Brock was 0-for-7 on throws 20+ yards downfield with an interception.
Tonight’s offensive performance summed up the 49ers’ shortcomings, and this drive was the exclamation point.
After allowing next to nothing all game, the 49ers allowed three first downs north of the two-minute warning. On 3rd & 4, Stafford found Colby Parkinson for 14 yards to put the game away.
When the 49ers needed their “stars”—Purdy, Ward, and Deebo—to come through at the most pivotal point, neither did.
Three dropped interceptions defensively. A dropped touchdown. Three drops overall. A bonehead decision to throw into double coverage. The 49ers were the same team tonight that they’ve been all season: Undisciplined and unserious in the game’s most critical moments.
That’s the season. In a must-win game, the 49ers did not score a touchdown. At home, against one of the worst defenses in the NFL.