The 49ers didn’t start nearly as fast as they did in Week 1 against the Steelers, but they made enough plays down the stretch of Week 2 to eventually put the Rams away at SoFi Stadium.
A 30-23 victory for San Francisco put them at 2-0 for the season and kept them atop the NFC West. It was also their ninth-straight regular season win over Sean McVay’s squad.
Buy 49ers TicketsIt wasn’t pretty, but the 49ers will take any early-season Ws they can get. Here are our observations from each quarter:
First quarter
– Brock Purdy does such a great job creating plays on scrambles. His ability to keep his eyes down the field while in motion is a game changer for the 49ers’ offense.
– The Rams are doing a nice job defending the boundaries. They haven’t been able to get explosive plays to the edge on their first series.
– Heck of a play by Purdy in a collapsing pocket to stand in and throw a strike to Brandon Aiyuk into a tight window.
– Bad news for San Francisco. Aiyuk was favoring his left shoulder area after being tackles. He went to the medical tent.
– There’s the weekly Christian McCaffrey touchdown. What a drive by the 49ers. 11 plays and 75 yards to open the game. McCaffrey went for 26 yards on five carries. Purdy was six-of-six for 49 yards.
– Holy cow. Javon Hargrave nearly came up with a sack on a handoff. He’s been unbelievable to start his 49ers career.
– Ambry Thomas has allowed three of Matthew Stafford’s first four completions.
– Outstanding play by Drake Jackson to get downfield to make a tackle on a third-down screen to WR Puka Nacua. If he doesn’t chase the receiver down it might’ve been a huge play. Instead the Rams settle for a field goal.
– Another explosive run from McCaffrey. This time he racks up 51 yards. It’s the second time in as many weeks that he’s had a run of 50-plus yards. He also had a 65-yard TD vs. the Steelers in the opener.
– WOW. The snap on a second-down hit George Kittle in the thigh and bounced directly to McCaffrey who churned ahead for a couple yards on a play that could’ve been a disaster deep in the red zone.
– Jake Moody has been cash since the regular season started. His 27-yard try was right down the middle to put San Francisco up 10-3 early in the second quarter.
End of first quarter: 49ers 10, Rams 3
Second quarter
– Oh no. Moody is handling kickoffs and his second one of the day sailed out of bounds. That will give the Rams great field position. That’s a mistake San Francisco cannot have.
– The 49ers have no answer for Nacua. He’s torching them in part because their DL isn’t putting any pressure on Stafford.
– Now San Francisco is missing tackles on players who are on the ground. Tough look for Isaiah Oliver, who is in for Ambry Thomas.
– Dre Greenlaw was flagged for unnecessary roughness and it’s a little unclear where it came. That’s a soft call on a play that should’ve gone for a loss and instead sets up the Rams deep in the red zone.
– There’s an easy TD on a screen to tie the game. Not a good series for the 49ers’ defense. They’re getting punked by LA’s offense.
– Ouch. Purdy had Aiyuk wide open on a deep shot down the right side and overthrew him. That’s one he’ll want back.
– The Rams did a really nice job in coverage on a third-and-9. That allowed their pass rush to get home for a sack.
– The 49ers pass rush finally forces Stafford to get rid of a throw early. That group has been nonexistent. LA is getting tons of easy completions.
– Tutu Atwell just punked Deommodore Lenoir on a contested catch. That might be a wrap for the 49ers defense if that’s how this one is gonna go (kidding!).
– Nice work by Drake Jackson to get a hand up and bat down a Stafford throw on a rollout. That’s incredible athleticism.
– The 49ers defense has nothing for the Rams. Nick Bosa just had a play where he was facing the wrong direction because he was fooled so badly by a misdirection run.
– Another Rams TD with RB Kyren Williams plowing ahead for six. It’s 17-10 Rams and they’ve been by far the better team through the first half.
– The 49ers have the ball with 1:45 and are in danger of getting lapped with the Rams getting the ball after the half. San Francisco needs points.
– Sweet, layered throw by Purdy in to Jauan Jennings for 20 to get into the red zone.
– Gutsy call from Kyle Shanahan to call a QB sneak from inside the 1 with only :01 left in the half. Purdy plowed in for a score and tied the game going into the third quarter. They needed that score with LA getting a chance to
Halftime score: Rams 17, 49ers 17
Third quarter
– The 49ers have done an abominable job of tackling in this one. Way too many plays turning into big gains that should have been a loss or no gain.
– Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is dialing up more blitzes on the Rams’ first drive of the second half.
– Outstanding tackle by Isaiah Oliver on a third-and-5 to fly up into the flat and pull Williams backward away from the first down marker. That’ll bring up the first punt of the game for the Rams.
– Another overthrown deep shot from Purdy on a third-and-7. He had time, but he couldn’t quite step into it all the way. He might’ve been able to hitch back a step there to give himself room to make a better throw.
– Brutal. Charvarius Ward got home on a blitz and whiffed on Stafford. Instead of a huge loss, Stafford finds his RB for a long gain and a first down. Missed tackles are killing San Francisco.
– Bosa has been off the field a lot.
– Now Bosa is on the field and got bamboozled on a jet sweep. Yikes!
– There’s a huge gift from the Rams. A throw to RB Kyren Williams gets tipped up and Oliver reached out to make a nice one-handed grab. Nice job by Oliver to break hard on the short throw and be in the area to take advantage of the tipped ball. San Francisco can swing the game here with a long drive.
– Trent Williams just blasted a Rams DB into Narnia.
– Another missed deep throw. This time to Samuel. That’s three that Purdy has missed to open receivers down the field. Really bad misses from him.
– Wow. A 57-yard field goal try and Moody drills it. Nice job from the rookie with the 49ers going ahead 20-17.
– A couple of breaks for the 49ers to open the Rams’ series after the field goal. Tutu Atwell couldn’t get a second foot down on a deep shot down the left sideline, then Nacua couldn’t grab a low throw that would’ve been a first down.
– Whew, a blitz by Fred Warner gets home and the 49ers force another punt. Warner is such an effective blitzer. A long TD drive could just about end this one.
End of third quarter: 49ers 20, Rams 17
Fourth quarter
– Purdy’s poise in the pocket is so good.
– Nice throw and catch on a 31-yard completion to Jauan Jennings. Purdy went to Jennings’ back shoulder and the big WR boxed out the defender to make a nice leaping grab for a huge gain.
– Vintage, vintage Deebo on a quick throw outside. He got the corner then plowed through a couple defenders to find the end zone and extend San Francisco’s lead to 27-17.
– The 49ers have done a much better job making Stafford uncomfortable in the second half and it’s shown.
– What a play by Deommodore Lenoir on a third-and-2 to come up with a pass breakup.
– The Lenoir PBU winds up not mattering because Nacua is always open so Stafford got him an easy completion.
– Charvarius Ward is having a bad game he just got beat by Ben Skowronek for a first down.
– Warner is making his mark in the fourth quarter. He forced an incompletion by getting in Stafford’s face on a blitz on a second-and-22. Then he broke up a pass on third-and-22 to force a Rams field goal. That makes it a 27-20 ball game with about half a quarter to go.
– Yikes! Third-and-2 and Purdy missed badly. Another throw he needed to have and he didn’t get it. That’s four bad whiffs from the QB. Now LA has a chance to tie it with more than five minutes left.
– Credit Javon Kinlaw with a PBU on a throw over the middle. Nice push up the middle from him.
– There’s the ball game. Stafford throws his second interception of the game to Lenoir over the middle of the field. Easy grab for the CB and the 49ers have it in the red zone with under five minutes to go. Any score here should seal it.
– A short Moody field goal makes it a 30-20 game. Two scores might be tough for LA to overcome this late.
– Whew Bosa nearly got to Stafford and forced a throwaway on a second-and-10.
– Oliver AGAIN! Wow! On a fourth-and-2 he flew in to trip up Williams in the backfield. Bosa was there to clean it up and that should do it from SoFi.
– Bad mistake by Tre Swilling, who is up from the practice squad. He ran into Williams, the Rams’ punt returner on a kick late in the game. That just can’t happen.
– Nearly a third takeaway by the 49ers’ defense, but Tashaun Gipson dropped what would’ve been a pick for him or Talanoa Hufanga.
– Sheesh, Drake Jackson got a pressure late by flying around the edge. Stafford got rid of it on a short throw.
Final score: 49ers 30, Rams 23
