The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t have scripted a better start to the game. The offense, as expected, involved Christian McCaffrey early and often. They overcame two penalties en route to a Jake Tonges six-yard touchdown pass from Mac Jones.
Bryce Huff’s sack on the first drive from the defense forced a punt. Mac Jones did not slow down, leading a 17-play, 91-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock. Equally as necessary, the 49ers scored a touchdown to make it 14-0.
On the ensuing defensive drive, after the Rams had made it into 49ers territory, Sam Okuayinonu created some chaos in the backfield, leading to Trevis Gipson recovering the fumble. San Francisco had a chance to take a three-possession lead.
But Kendrick Bourne had other ideas. For the second week in a row, Bourne dropped a wide-open pass on third down. It felt like the game flipped on its head on that play. Sure enough, it did not take long for the Rams to march down the field themselves and score to make it 14-7.
The 49ers took over with just over two minutes to go in the second quarter. They needed to hold onto the ball, but also add points, as the Rams would get the ball to begin the third quarter. Despite Bourne lining up illegally and Skyy Moore forcing Kyle Shanahan to burn a timeout, Mac Jones led another impressive two-minute drive that took the entire clock.
Eddy Pinero’s field goal was good to give the Niners a 17-7 lead. San Francisco ran 41 plays compared to 23 plays run by the Rams in the first half. It’s tough for a potent offense to score when they don’t have the ball. Puka Nacua was limited to 24 receiving yards in the first half.
The 49ers had a coverage bust on third down, but were bailed out by a running back drop. Fred Warner was upset, seemingly with Sam O, for not running with the running back. So, the ball evens out, and Los Angeles feels what it’s like for a wide-open player to drop a pass.
To make matters worse, the Rams missed a field goal — something the 49ers have not had to worry about with Eddy Pinero on the roster. San Francisco needed to answer that turnover with points. The Rams aren’t a team that you can let off the hook twice.
A defensive pass interference on third down kept the drive alive for San Francisco. Bourne atoned for an earlier drop and a penalty after a pair of receptions the Niners needed. From the two-yard line, Shanahan elected to kick a field goal to make it 20-7.
It was only a matter of time before the decision to kick a field goal would come back to bite the Niners. Matthew Stafford continued to attack the inexperienced secondary of San Francisco. Marques Sigle allowed a 34-yarder on the drive. That poor kid can’t catch a break. Puka wasn’t quiet for long and ended up scoring to bring the Rams within six, 20-14.
Unfortunately, the 49ers also lost Yetur Gross-Matos on the drive due to a hamstring injury. Linebacker Dee Winters was questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Winters went to the locker room. Thankfully, he was on the field to begin the next drive.
The offense had an opportunity to answer, but McCaffrey was stopped in the backfield on 3rd & 1. This was after Shanahan decided to go for it on 4th & inches. They converted once, but 4th & 3 was enough for Shanahan to send out the punt team. It felt like a wasted opportunity to put points on the board. The 49ers lost 11 percent in win probability after Thomas Morstead’s punt.
Saleh attempted to bring pressure, but more often than not, it was to no avail. Stafford always knew where to go with the ball, and seemingly always made the Rams right — even if they were in the wrong play. Stafford converted one third down. On another 26-yard pass to Davante Adams, Stafford seemed like all day to throw. That would not be the last explosive play on the drive, as he caught a 24-yarder a couple of plays later.
And just like that, the Rams had 1st & goal. They scored to tie the game, but the extra point was no good, and the score was tied at 20.
The 49ers went three-and-out. The running game initially looked promising, but it quickly dried up. Every rushing attempt felt like the offense bailed the Rams’ defense out.
After a short rest, the defense stood tall on 3rd & 1 and forced a punt. The Rams lost seven percentage points of win probability on the decision to punt. Los Angeles got a fortuitous bounce, and the Niners began the drive at their 2-yard line.
Kendrick Bourne went from scapegoat to hero. He added multiple catches on the drive and had ten for 142 up to this point. Eddy Pineiro made a 59-yarder to give San Francisco a 23-20 lead. To get points on a drive that started on your own two-yard line while managing to take five minutes off the clock was about as good an outcome as Shanahan could have hoped for.
The Rams took over with just under three minutes to play, trailing 23-20. It took the Rams three plays to get inside the red zone. The defense was a sieve in the second half. They would need a miracle to prevent the Rams from scoring. They got one. Second-rounder Alfred Collins tried to peanut punch the ball out. He missed, hit Kyren Williams’ facemask, and then the ball, eventually forcing a fumble. Collins also landed on the ball in a miraculous turn of events.
Three runs up the middle, and Los Angeles had the ball right back. Shanahan took the ball out of Mac Jones’ hands on 3rd & 8, which meant the defense would have to protect on a short field. The game came down to 4th & 3. The Rams elected to go for it instead of kicking a 60+ yarder. Dee Winters was beaten over the middle on a pick play, and the Rams’ hopes remained alive.
Los Angeles made a field goal, and we’d head to overtime. The 49ers began overtime with the ball. Shanahan trusted Mac, and he led the offense into field goal range. Jones took a sack on 2nd & 3, which ultimately ended the drive. Pineiro’s kick from 41 yards doinked inside the uprights, and San Francisco led 26-23.
The lack of pressure would come back to bite the Niners, as Stafford uncorked one of his usual heaves down the field for 38 yards. And the Rams were in field goal range once again. Los Angeles was short on 3rd & 6. So, the 49ers had another opportunity for a stop that would win the game.
Shanahan called a timeout after noticing Bryce Huff was in the game. He subbed in Alfred Collins. Not only did he make a difference, but so did Chase Lucas — who had subbed in during the fourth quarter for Upton Stout. The defense got the one stop they needed, and the 49ers escaped Los Angeles with a win, despite missing seemingly all of their important players, sans McCaffrey.
It was a gutsy win by the 49ers, and a sign that they can compete against anybody.
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