The 49ers will have to catch it, of course.
The 49ers defense did not disappoint to begin 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.