49ers vs. Rams: Position grades from San Francisco’s Week 17 loss

The San Francisco 49ers finished the 2018 NFL regular season with a 48-32 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which secured the 49ers the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Niner Noise has your full position grades and analysis from the Niners’ Week 17 loss.

On Sunday, both the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams left Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with what they came for in Week 17.

Head coach Sean McVay’s Rams capped off a tumultuous month of December with a commanding victory that secured the NFC West champs a much-needed first round bye in the playoffs. While a bye is essential for any NFL team planning a deep playoff run, it holds extra value for Los Angeles, as the team can now expect star running back Todd Gurley to be back in top form after his two-week injury absence.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch also got they wanted in Week 17, although they would have preferred to achieve it in a less-ugly fashion. The Niners entered the final Sunday of the 2018 NFL regular season with draft positioning on the line. A loss in their last game of the year could mean a shot at the top spot in the 2019 NFL Draft, while a Week-17 victory could have potentially dropped San Francisco down to pick No. 5.

By losing, the 49ers ended up with the second overall pick in the draft, and nearly scored picked No.1, if not for an ugly dropped pass by Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Trent Sherfield in the closing minutes of the Cardinals’ matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Unfortunately, the Week 17 loss was far from pretty for San Francisco, thanks to four first-half turnovers. With the game well out of reach before halftime, the 49ers showed the heart they’ve demonstrated all season by putting 28 points on the scoreboard over the remainder of the contest.

Niner fans also had something to root for in the game’s closing minutes, as tight end George Kittle worked to break a pair of records. Kittle broke the 49ers’ franchise record for the most catches by a tight end in a single season in the third quarter of the game, and then broke the league record for receiving yards by a tight end in a single season as the game neared the end of regulation:

For a summary of yesterday’s contest, check out Niner Noise’s 49ers Week 17 game recap, which includes highlights, scores and analysis from San Francisco’s 48-32 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Each week, Niner Noise breaks down and grades the performance of each of the 49ers’ position groups. Let’s start with the San Francisco 49ers’ offense: