San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles RamsIt wasn't as pretty as the 49ers hoped it to be, but they managed to pull away from the Rams, winning 30-23 in LA. Niner Noise hands out grades from the contest.
The San Francisco 49ers dominated Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, showcasing themselves as the early cream of the crop in the NFC.
Week 2 was... less appealing.
Divisional games can be weird, and despite the Niners' winning record against the Los Angeles Rams, there is never a guarantee. Against a new-look Rams team with young talent and momentum following their division win against the Seattle Seahawks, things could always be different.
And for a half, it was.
San Francisco marched down the field and scored an opening touchdown, which was met by a Rams field goal. Then, the 49ers scored a field goal, which was met by a Rams touchdown. With the score at 10-10, the Niners blinked first, not scoring on their third drive, which the Rams promptly took advantage of taking the lead 17-10 with just under two minutes to go.
The 49ers marched down the field and, with one second on the clock, opted against a field goal. From the 1/2-yard line, quarterback Brock Purdy snuck the ball across the goal line and scored, heading into halftime tied 17-17.
The second half turned out to be a different story.
The 49ers brought constant pressure with blitzes, and they finally forced LA's quarterback, Matthew Stafford off, coercing him into an interception following a bobble by running back Kyren Williams and then earning a second one with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir stepping in front of a pass intended to wide receiver Van Jefferson.
On offense, the 49ers scored a touchdown and two field goals in the second half, aided by those turnovers. Los Angeles, meanwhile, had one final gasp at serious contention that was snuffed out following a 4th-and-2 stop by nickel corner Isaiah Oliver. But in the final moments of the game, the Rams kicked a field goal, bringing the score to 30-23.
A win is a win, and barring that unnecessary last-second field goal, the Niners would have pulled off a double-digit victory. But something was off for a team that came off such a stellar performance.
Here are the grades from today's contest.