Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers biggest studs, duds from NFC Championship loss vs. Rams

By Eric Gamboa

Jan 30, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leaves the field after losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leaves the field after losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

49ers Stud: Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

The 49ers were nowhere as productive on offense as the Rams. Yet, the savvy play-calling of head coach Kyle Shanahan had the Niners up by 10 in the fourth quarter. Over and over, they made plays when they needed them the most, leading to a 10-point lead.

This is where DeMeco Ryans needed to place his team to make the stops. This is where that dropped interception hurt San Francisco.

Then, on those last two drives, the inconsistent play of Jimmy Garoppolo came back to haunt the team. The 49ers crawled out of a 3-5 start of the season and made it to the NFC Championship game because Shanahan continued to find innovative ways to get the most out of his guys.

Unfortunately, he can only do so much.

The Niners needed to seal the win, and they just came up short. Still, they bled for the Red and Gold, and Shanahan deserves a lot of credit for getting his team this deep into the playoffs. A few more plays made by his players and this game is nowhere near as close.

Unfortunately, San Francisco was not able to sustain its success, and the Rams capitalized at the end.