SANTA CLARA — You’re not going to win many football games when you fall behind 21-0.
So no, the 49ers didn’t beat the Rams Sunday in a pivotal Week 10 NFC West matchup. Frankly, it was incredible they were ever within striking distance of Los Angeles in a game that ended 42-26, with LA posting 401 yards of offense, while registering no penalties (to the Niners’ seven), and winning the turnover battle 2-0 on Sunday.
The Niners fell to 6-4 on the season with the loss and are clearly in a second tier all to themselves in the division, trailing the Seahawks (44-22 winners over Arizona) and Rams.
STUDS 💪
Brian Robinson • RB
» Another positive game for the Niners’ backup back, scoring a touchdown and outgaining McCaffrey on the ground.
The 49ers’ Offensive Line
» A strong performance against an elite defensive front. The Niners have problems — oh so many problems — but blaming the boys up front for this loss is simply telling the world that you don’t know ball.
George Kittle • TE
» He showed up. The question was simply how frequently the Niners could get the ball to him.
Kittle had nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown and added some strong blocking in the run game. He remains as good as it gets at the tight end position.
DUDS 📉
Renardo Green • CB
» Whether it was Davante Adams or Puka Nacua, Green gave back all the progress he made over the last few weeks. Unless he’s in a strict man-to-man look, Green really struggles to stick with anyone. And when you play man-to-man against Adams, you lose. You can do the math here.
Luke Gifford • LB
» Typically, when I suggest that a defensive player was a target, I mean it in a way that’s a little less than literal.
In this case, I mean it literally.
Gifford was targeted repeatedly on Sunday to the point that when the Niners put the seventh-year linebacker on the field, the Rams changed the play to go right after him.
And those plays worked without fail.
Gifford is a fine special teams player, but the Niners’ Big Nickel (where Jason Pinnock stepped in at SAM linebacker) proved to be the far-better option.
Robert Saleh • DC
» For no other reason than keeping Gifford on the field.
Ji’Ayir Brown • FS
» A liability against the run and the pass. He’ll post a flash play every now and again, and follow it with two or three plays where he’s woefully out of position or is straight-up run over.
Malik Mustapha • SS
» Played so poorly you could argue that Brown was the better safety.
Jordan Elliott • DT
» The Rams ran “duo” — Sean McVay’s favorite run play — at Elliott to the point of relentlessness. But you stick with what works in this league.
His fourth-and-1 encroachment with 2:42 to play (in a lost-cause situation) didn’t help his case for not making this list.
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