49ers Regret Mistakes in ‘Unacceptable’ Loss to Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan communicated a strong message to his team on Saturday night regarding their upcoming match against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the Rams’ winless record and recent humiliating defeat to the Arizona Cardinals, Shanahan anticipated a fierce response from Los Angeles, especially given their injury struggles.

“You’ve got to take their hope away,” Shanahan warned. He emphasized the risks of giving Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford too many opportunities at the end of the game. “If you put a ball in his hands at the end, it’s not a situation you want to be in.”

Unfortunately, the Niners found themselves in that very predicament on Sunday. After establishing a 14-point lead, San Francisco was unable to capitalize on its strong start, plagued by mistakes on special teams, defensive lapses, and offensive errors, leading to a shocking 27-24 defeat.

This loss marked the 49ers’ second straight defeat, dropping their season record to 1-2. It was also the first loss to an NFC West rival for starting quarterback Brock Purdy. Following the game, Shanahan described the team’s frustration, stating that they were “pissed” over the squandered victory. The atmosphere in the locker room reflected this sentiment, with wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who gave a standout performance, choosing to avoid media interaction entirely.

“It was unacceptable,” linebacker Fred Warner stated after the game. “We can’t do that. We can’t beat ourselves. All three phases have got to play better. We’ll look at the tape, fix it, and move on.”

As a team that has reached the NFC Championship Game in four of the last five seasons, the 49ers have a significant amount to address. They entered the game missing key players due to injuries: star running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf), and tight end George Kittle (hamstring). However, the Rams faced their own injury struggles and showed no sympathy.

Things began to unravel for San Francisco late in the second quarter. With 6:22 remaining, the Rams faced a fourth-and-6 from their 43-yard line. In a bold move, the Rams opted for a fake punt, which the Niners had expected. Despite this, Rams running back Ronnie Rivers executed a direct snap that resulted in a 7-yard gain, ultimately setting up the Rams’ first touchdown. Instead of a potential insurmountable deficit, this play injected new life into the Rams.

Additional special teams blunders plagued the Niners, who had already allowed a blocked punt in their previous loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They faltered again on this occasion, permitting the fake punt conversion, missing a 55-yard field goal, and allowing a 38-yard punt return that set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal.

“I thought we had a chance to run away with it, to not give them any hope,” said Shanahan. “That gave them a lot of hope and got them back in it. Those are three critical plays in the game.”

The 49ers’ defensive performance also deteriorated, shifting from an impressive start to allowing 27 points, 267 yards, and 18 first downs to the Rams over the final three quarters. San Francisco failed to force a turnover, as Stafford orchestrated his 45th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, ranking among the highest since the 1970 merger.

The comeback by the Rams was their largest under coach Sean McVay, showcasing their resilience even amidst struggles this season.

“We need to feel this loss,” defensive end Nick Bosa remarked. “We can’t just move on as if it’s fine… the NFL is volatile, and no matter how talented we think we are, we need to perform well every Sunday.”

Even with the team’s deficiencies, the 49ers still had opportunities to secure a win, largely due to the efforts of Jennings and Purdy. In his role as a starter, Jennings recorded an impressive 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns, becoming only the fourth player in franchise history to achieve such a feat in a single game.

Purdy also delivered an impressive performance, completing 22 of his 30 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, achieving a passer rating of 137.1. However, his performance could have been even better, as the Niners experienced three drops from pass catchers other than Jennings, with others nullified by penalties.

One critical moment came when Purdy threw a deep pass to an open Ronnie Bell with just over a minute left in the game. The pass was on target, yet Bell dropped the crucial catch that could have set up a potential game-winning field goal. Consequently, the Niners had to punt, paving the way for the Rams’ final drive.

This defeat meant that Purdy joined the ranks of Joe Montana and Steve Young as the only 49ers quarterbacks to lose a game despite completing at least 70% of their passes while throwing three or more touchdowns. The loss also marked the first time the Niners fell below .500 with Purdy as the starter.

Now sitting at 1-2, the Niners recognize that the season is far from over. The locker room is filled with players who have previously overcame adversity. Yet, they are acutely aware that missed opportunities, such as this game, could haunt them later in the season.

“That’s part of being in the NFL,” Purdy stated. “Everyone is really good, and last year doesn’t matter one bit. Every Sunday, teams bring their best. We must approach every game as a challenge and understand that nothing will be handed to us.”