Niners Nation
Sunday was a rough day for the San Francisco 49ers’ defense against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw four touchdowns and zero interceptions in three straight games, and the Rams routinely picked on different players from their new 13 personnel wrinkle. The 49ers’ defense did get some stops, but it came with the team down 21-0 in the second quarter. The Rams scored on every possession in the second half, except the final drive, which was running the clock out in the fourth quarter.
Mac Jones finished with six incompletions on 39 attempts, one was an interception, and another was a drop by Jauan Jennings. Jennings also fumbled on a promising drive for the offense. Given the potential struggles from the 49ers’ defense, the offense will need to play as close to perfect as possible.
Let’s look at the snap counts and grades from Sunday’s game, according to Pro Football Focus.
Offense
Quarterback
Mac Jones 63 (69.3)
Jones was far from the issue on Sunday. At times, he was downright excellent. With a stat line of 33/39, 319 yards, 8.2 YPA, 2 TDs, and an INT, Jones sliced and diced the vaunted Rams defense through the air. Jones was blitzed on 17.9% of his dropbacks and turned in a perfect performance against the blitz, going 7/7 with 86 yards and a TD. On play action throws, Jones went 6/6 for 51 yards, but on straight dropbacks, Jones put together a 27/33, 268-yard, three-touchdown day with an interception on fourth down. The question is, will Brock Purdy return to the lineup? Jones has made the case to push Shanahan to stick with the hot hand.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey 49 (64.3)
Kyle Juszczyk 31 (58.0)
Brian Robinson 14 (68.5)
The 49ers’ rushing attack struggled to get going, but being down 21-0 in the blink of an eye will push you away from the run, also. McCaffrey finished with 30 rushing yards on 12 carries with 29 yards after contact. However, Brian Robinson found success on the ground with 41 yards on eight attempts and two runs over ten-plus yards. Robinson punched the ball in the end zone as well. As usual, McCaffrey was a key receiving target, hauling in eight passes for 66 yards.
Wide Receiver
Jauan Jennings 58 (68.2)
Kendrick Bourne 43 (58.4)
Demarcus Robinson 29 (66.1)
Skyy Moore 11 (66.1)
Jordan Watkins 3 (56.5)
Jauan Jennings found the end zone for the second consecutive week, but his fumble when the 49ers offense was showing signs of life can’t happen. With 71 yards, six catches, and a touchdown, Jennings is looking healthier each week. Demarcus Robinson was facing his former team again in 2025 and finished with 34 yards on three catches. Kendrick Bourne caught his only target for 19 yards. This team desperately needs to have Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk return to the lineup. At this point, the team will take either, but both would be ideal....
