The San Francisco 49ers came to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with Interim head coach John Fassel, Jared Goff and 4-11 Los Angeles Rams. With no playoff implications, Fassel and Chip Kelly got to audition and try to gain experience for the 2017 season.
Goff and the offense were guilty of the first turnover of the game, as he threw an interception with a longer return that gave Colin Kaepernick great field position. Carlos Hyde scored on a 19-yard pass, giving the 49ers a 7-0 lead.
The offense of the Rams responded with a strong dive, capped off by a fourth down conversion that got them in the red zone. Running back Todd Gurley then ran for the touchdown, in a strong effort after being hit early on.
The Rams were able to quickly score again, with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. After safety Cody Davis picked off Kaepernick, Tavon Austin took an end-around for a 30-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Rams a 14-7 lead.
The defense of the Rams was getting to the Kaepernick, with a sack each from Eugene Sims and Dominique Easley halfway through the second quarter.
Both teams would fail to score again before the end of the second quarter, as both defenses held each other scoreless. Going into halftime, the Rams lead by a score or 14-7.
Just before the half, we had a NFL record-breaking moment. Punter Johnny Hekker downed his 47th punt of the season inside the 20-yard line, which broke the previous week. It should be noted than Hekker completed the record with almost a third less of the attempts of the previous record holder.
After such an offensive start, it seemed as though both defenses took a turn for the better. The Rams and 49ers would both be held scoreless in the following quarter, as Los Angeles carried their 14-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter saw plenty of injuries on the field, as both a Rams and 49er player was seen on the ground recuperating. Both athletic trainers were busy on the day, as a chunk of third quarter play was prolonged by the training staff checking on the players on the field.
The Rams defense was able to create a turnover on an unfortunate play. After Hyde was hit on a devastating tackle, he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Rams.
Hyde would remain down for a few minutes, as it appeared he suffered from a serious injury. The Rams were able to capitalize on the turnover, as Goff found tight end Tyler Higbee on a two-yard touchdown.
With a 21-7 lead, Fassel and Goff seemed on pace to achieve both their first victories as the starting head coach and quarterback.
Kaepernick and the 49ers would not go down easily, as they continued fighting their way back into the game. The offense of the 49ers was able to drive down the field, which resulted in a Kaepernick 13-yard touchdown run.
With the lead cut to 21-14, the Rams needed to gain some first downs to run the clock out, with over five minutes remaining. After running the clock on two consecutive Gurley carries, they faced a third down.
With the stage on him and at his home arena, Goff was unable to convert the third down. That gave the ball back to the 49ers, with a chance to come back into the game.
Kaepernick hit his stride as the game came down to the end, hitting consecutive passes to get his team into the red zone. On a first and goal, he connected with Rod Streater for the 10-yard touchdown.
Kelly then elected to go for the two-point conversion, leaving the game up to a single play. With his team hot, Kelly left it up to his offense to secure the win.
Kaepernick took the snap and didn’t find his immediate receivers. He scrambled down the right side, attempting to find a target to throw to. Eventually Kaepernick elected to take it himself and scored on a rushing attempt.
With a one-point lead, the 49ers were issued a taunting penalty, which gave the Rams an extra 15 yards.
Only need a field goal and with three timeouts, Goff had 30 seconds to make a last-second win happen. The California rivalry seemed to have some flare to it, for two teams that were well out of playoff contention.
In a close contest, Goff received the ball in great field position, thanks to a return out to the 43-yard line (courtesy of the penalty). However, the game would end sour for the 49ers, as Goff was picked off by Rashard Robinson, sealing the game.
The 49ers achieved their second victory of the season, both courtesy of the Rams in a 22-21 loss. The Rams somehow managed to lose another game while holding a lead, failing to secure a victory for Goff and Fassel.
