INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers looked like they were going to cruise to their first NFC West win in front of a sea of red and gold at SoFi Stadium.
San Francisco jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half, had a 10-point advantage with under seven minutes remaining. They never trailed – until kicker Joshua Karty nailed a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a comeback 27-24 win against their archrival.
“It was a frustrating game throughout it. I thought we had every chance to win that game,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We had a number of times in the game where we had opportunities to run away with it, especially early in the game, having that 14-point lead.”
The 49ers controlled a majority of the contest; They outgained the Rams 391 to 296 in total yards and possessed the football for over 33 minutes. The momentum started to turn following a successful Rams fake punt late in the first half. They ended the drive with a touchdown.
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The Rams built on that after halftime, scoring on their last four possessions of the second half to stun a shorthanded 49ers squad.
“You got to fight. No pity parties,” 49ers left tackle Trent Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “Nobody gives a damn what we’re going through. We just got to fight.”
The truth is the 49ers and Rams game was a battle of the walking wounded.
A chart of San Francisco’s injured players looks like a VIP guest list. The 49ers were without versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and standout tight end George Kittle (hamstring), while defending NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey is one of five players currently on injured reserve. Plus, 2024 first-round pick WR Ricky Pearsall is on the non-football injury list as he recovers from a tragic gunshot wound.
As currently constructed, the 49ers are far from the NFC representative we saw in Super Bowl 58 with Samuel, Kittle and McCaffrey.
However, the Rams are dealing with a host of injuries too, including wide receivers Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee), who are on injured reserve.
The Rams entered into Week 3 winless. The 49ers came into the game battered and bruised, though the better team. That much seemed apparent when the 49ers went up 14-0 in the first quarter, and again when they had a two-score advantage in the final period.
Sunday was a game the 49ers should’ve held on to win, yet they let it slip away. Now, San Francisco finds itself sitting at the bottom of the NFC West at 1-2, giving the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks some early season breathing room.
“It’s definitely a rough start, but there’s a ton of football to be played. We’ve been through some tough stretches before, and we just have to stay together. We have the guys to do it,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said postgame. “I think we have to feel the loss for sure. You can’t just move on and act like it’s fine. Feel the loss and just start stacking week by week.
“We’re in a hole now. So we got to dig it out.’
But can the 49ers dig out of a self-inflicted hole?
Sure.
In 2022, the 49ers started 1-2 and made it to the NFC championship game.
San Francisco dealt with injuries during a three-game slide last October before winning seven of their last nine to close out the regular season, ultimately advancing to Super Bowl 58.
This season, the scheduling Gods worked in San Francisco’s favor as they host the rebuilding New England Patriots and a young Arizona Cardinals team the next two weeks.
The 49ers should be able to dig themselves out of a 1-2 rut. But we witnessed Sunday that the 49ers are reeling from injuries – and maybe even a slight Super Bowl appearance hangover.