Not a single touchdown was scored, but the Los Angeles Rams picked up a crucial NFC West victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, 12-6.
The Rams moved to 8-6, while the 49ers fell to 6-8.
Both quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford for the Rams and Brock Purdy of the 49ers, had fantastic Week 14 performances, leading many to believe that this game would be an offensive onslaught.
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, #17, walks towards the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. (Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)
Instead, with some first-half rain not helping matters, both offenses were out of sync, and big defensive plays were being made to stymie some of the game’s best weapons with the ball in their hands.
The first half only saw six total points put on the board, with the 49ers’ Jake Moody nailing a 53-yard field goal on the team’s second offensive possession, and Josh Karty finally getting the Rams on the board with 1:05 left in the half to make it a 3-3 game.
All the other drives ended in punts – 11 to be exact – as the Levi’s Stadium crowd began to murmur about the lack of scoring.
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When the second half began, back-to-back field goals made it 6-6, though the Rams were able to be the first team in the red zone with the ball as far as the 49ers’ four-yard line. But nonetheless, no one found pay dirt.
The Rams’ were able to get their first lead of the game after forcing a three-and-out, and Puka Nacua, who had two scores and over 170 yards last game, broke out for a 51-yard catch to immediately get back in 49ers’ territory.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, #13, throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. (Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)
However, Los Angeles was unable to convert from two yards out for a first down, and Karty came on again to make his third field goal of the game.
Purdy and the 49ers’ offense were dying to respond, and the signal caller took a shot deep downfield to Jauan Jennings, another receiver who scored twice in Week 14. However, veteran Darious Williams was the recipient of the pass for an interception.
With head coach Kyle Shanahan not believing his eyes about how his offense was playing, Stafford and head coach Sean McVay were looking to be methodical to churn the clock and hoped they could close out the game.
That is exactly what happened, as Stafford dissected a great 49ers defense, picking up key first downs in the pass game, while Kyren Williams chewed up yardage as well.
Karty nailed his fourth field goal with just 20 seconds left to force the 49ers to score a touchdown for the win. With not enough time left to make that happen, the Rams moved themselves into great playoff chances, while the 49ers’ hopes got even slimmer than they already were.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, #15, looks towards the sideline before a play against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. (Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)
Looking at the box score, it was not too pretty as Stafford went 16-for-27 for 160 yards, but Nacua accounted for 97 of those on seven receptions. A shocker, though, was Cooper Kupp not catching a single pass on three targets.
Williams also tallied 108 yards on the ground on 29 carries to lead the way on those scoring drives.
For the 49ers, Purdy was 14-for-31 for 142 yards with his interception, and George Kittle was his top receiver, securing four catches for 61 yards.
It is also worth noting that Deebo Samuel Sr., who posted that he wants to get the ball more after not producing his usual amount this season, had a shaky performance in this one. He finished with just three catches for 16 yards and three yards on two carries.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, #9, calls a play against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. (Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images)
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Also, perhaps the game’s only touchdown would’ve come when Purdy hit Samuel right in between the numbers on a slant route with tons of open field to work with in Rams territory. However, Samuel dropped it and boos showered the field along with the rain, as 49ers fans knew what was said by their star entering this matchup.
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