3 overreactions from SF 49ers Week 6 win vs. LA Rams

SF 49ers Overreaction No. 3: Robert Saleh’s defense is back to being elite

Yes, one needs to give credit where it’s due, and the Niners did more than what they were expected to on defense against a top-end Rams offense that appeared to be firing on all cylinders entering Week 6.

Holding the Rams to six first-half points and coming away with just 16 points total and a mere 311 all-purpose yards allowed is no small feat. And to think San Francisco’s defense pulled this off minus a true pass rush — neither Jimmy Garoppolo or the Rams’ Jared Goff were sacked Sunday night — is pretty impressive.

So, is the SF 49ers defense back to form?

The overreaction would say yes, of course. But one has to keep in mind some of Los Angeles’ own miscues during the game. Goff had a wide-open wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, who got behind the Niners’ last line of defense for what could have been a key touchdown, or at least a massive gain. But Kupp couldn’t track the ball and let it bounce off his fingertips. He had another couple of key drops, too, and there were more than a handful of moments where Goff threw to a completely empty portion of the field with no Rams receiver around.

That’s a miscommunication on L.A., not necessarily a ringing endorsement of San Francisco’s defense.

Simply put, the Rams did the 49ers plenty of favors on Sunday night, and the Niners defense still has some notable liabilities and shortcomings, which were often covered up by L.A.’s miscues.