Niner Noise
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The good, bad and ugly from 49ers’ efforts versus Rams on Thursday Night Football

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Pierre Garcon #15 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Pierre Garcon #15 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch against the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Raheem Mostert #31 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a turnover by the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Raheem Mostert #31 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a turnover by the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on September 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The Ugly

The 49ers put themselves in a position to lose this game. And lose they did.

But there were plenty of factors working against San Francisco’s favor. First, Thursday Night Football games are usually ugly and poorly played. Such was the case again in Week 3. Players don’t get enough time to rest and recover, and the product on the field often reflects that.

And then there are the injuries and penalties. Yeah, those hurt the Niners in a big, big way.

Plethora of Injuries

San Francisco was already dealing with a slew of injuries before the game, including critical ones to safety Eric Reid (knee) and linebacker Reuben Foster (ankle).

After a solid start to the game, safety Jaquiski Tartt suffered a concussion and had to leave. So did linebacker Brock Coyle. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk excited with a neck injury, and defensive tackle Tank Carradine injured his knee.

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Did we miss any? Probably.

Oh, yeah. Running back Carlos Hyde was banged up but still managed 84 yards on 25 carries.

Still, the already-shorthanded 49ers didn’t benefit at all from the short week. And, notably on defense, the attrition certainly hurt San Francisco’s bid to contain the Rams offense as the game wore on.

Officiating

Calling out the referees is usually the proverbial “low fruit on the tree,” but it’s impossible to overlook the many bad calls — many of which went against the 49ers — during the game.

Here are some takes:

Speaking of that Trent Taylor “pushoff,” here’s the evidence, courtesy of David Fucillo at Niners Nation:




If that’s offensive pass interference, well…

What we do know is that all but thwarted San Francisco’s final shot to come back and potentially win the game late in the fourth quarter. It would have been a first down, and the Niners were only trailing by two with plenty of time left.

We’ll never know if the 49ers could have staged a last-second field goal or touchdown to win the game, but it’s a shame the officials never gave them a chance.

Sure, referees make mistakes too. But you hate to see it seriously impact the outcome of the game.

If there’s a positive takeaway from San Francisco’s third consecutive loss this season, at least we can say it was entertaining.

Next: Fantasy football: Start-em, sit-em players for Week 3

Haven’t been able to say that for a while.