Niners Nation
In the wake of a defeat in which the Los Angeles Rams did basically whatever they wanted when they had the ball, the search for reasons to be cheerful for the 49ers might seem as futile as San Francisco’s comeback efforts ultimately proved to be.
But the cause for optimism as the 49ers, now 6-4, aim to ensure what has largely been an impressive season amid a plethora of injuries results in a playoff berth, was easy to see.
Everyone inside and outside of the 49er organization knows this is a football team that will need to be led by the offense with the defense decimated by injuries, and Robert Saleh’s group was woefully ill-equipped to slow down Matthew Stafford and Co. on Sunday.
San Francisco had Fred Warner back in Week 5 when they stunned the Rams on the road. The best linebacker in the game watched from the stands on Sunday, with his absence keenly felt as Stafford shredded the 49er back seven.
A defensive line short of difference-making pass rushers beyond Bryce Huff sacked Stafford just once, while the absence of rookies Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins saw the run defense take a big step back. The 49ers were consistently blown off the ball, with the edge often non-existent on outside runs as Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for 129 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
You don’t need to be any kind of football expert to know what when your defense surrenders 42 points, it’s going to be difficult to win.
Yet the 49ers can take heart in offense’s efforts to keep up.
San Francisco’s attack was culpable in putting the 49ers in a 21-0 hole, its first three series ending a punt, a fumble and a turnover on downs.
But the 49ers punted just once thereafter, with the only other drive to not end in a touchdown coming on the interception that essentially clinched the game for the Rams. There was a caveat to that play, in that it came after a frankly bogus illegal shift call on George Kittle wiped out a drive-extending pass interference penalty.
In short, San Francisco moved the ball extremely well after their opening drive punt. Jauan Jennings’ fumble came on the Los Angeles 26-yard-line, and the 49ers reached the 11 of the Rams before the fourth-down stop that led to a turnover on downs.
Those miscues proved crucial in costing the 49ers a shot at a minimum of six points in a game they lost by two scores. They were failures of execution that shouldn’t be ignored, but they don’t render the good things the 49ers did on offense irrelevant, and they were plenty.
Mac Jones was outstanding as he recorded his third 300-yard game of the season. Christian McCaffrey made more history with his efforts as a pass-catching, while Brian Robinson Jr. provided more evidence of his talents as a complement to McCaffrey in the backfield. The offensive line did...
