They may have won when it mattered most in the postseason last year, but when it comes to the regular season, the Los Angeles Rams still can’t take down their division rivals up north.
The offense was held to 257 yards, with just 57 of those coming on the ground, turned the ball over twice and failed to score a touchdown as the Rams fell on the road to the San Francisco 49ers 24-9. With the loss, the entire NFC West now sits in a four-way tie almost a quarter of the way through the season as everyone is 2-2.
Big plays were the name of the game as the 49ers got three huge ones for all three of their touchdowns. The first came on the second drive of the game after the Rams failed to punch it in inside the red zone and had to settle for a field goal. Jeff Wilson Jr. got loose for a 32-yard touchdown to put the 49ers up early.
In fact, every time the Rams were able to score, the 49ers always responded. The play of the game came in the second quarter after another Rams field goal cut the deficit to 7-6. Deebo Samuel would turn a short pass into a 57-yard touchdown, breaking numerous tackles along the way to the end zone which sent Levi’s Stadium into an absolute frenzy.
The Rams’ fate was sealed when Talanoa Hufanga picked off Matthew Stafford late in the fourth quarter and returned it 52 yards for the final touchdown of the night.
Cooper Kupp continued to lead the way for the Rams with 122 yards on 14 catches while Tyler Higbee added 10 catches for 73 yards. But the offense just never got going despite having the ball much more than their opponents.
The Rams won the time of possession battle by nearly 10 minutes and ran 73 plays to just 49 from their San Francisco, but the Niners defense simply shut the Rams down. Stafford was sacked seven times on the night while the run game was non-existent with Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. combining for just 40 yards on 15 carries.
Unfortunately for the Rams, their biggest highlight of the night didn’t have any effect on the game itself. A fan ran out on the field and Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner took it upon himself to tackle the fan when security was having trouble bringing him down.
Next up for the Rams
The Rams have a crucial home game next Sunday afternoon as they host the red-hot Dallas Cowboys, who have won three consecutive games and there are reports that quarterback Dak Prescott has eyes on returning for this contest.
