49ers’ defense rises in the second half to shut down Ramsc
Rams had 49ers on their heels in first half, but turn it over twice and get two field goals in second half
The 49ers’ lauded defense was thoroughly outplayed in the first half on Sunday.
After recovering from the elbow injuries that ended his season a year ago, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was slicing, dicing, and getting rid of the ball before the 49ers’ pass rush could do any harm.
However, the 49ers tied the game 17-17 with a late touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Brock Purdy on the final play of the first half, and a defense that believes it should be one of the best in the NFL played closer to that standard in a 30-23 win at SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers defense came out firing in a 30-7 win at Pittsburgh a week ago, forcing five consecutive three-and-outs and taking control of the game early.
So, how did the 49ers learn more about themselves against a mostly unknown Rams team that appears to be much improved from last year’s 5-12 disaster?
Because they got off to a good start against an elite passer and turned the game around with two interceptions and an improved pass rush.
Stafford finished the first half 14-of-18 for 143 yards and a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. The Rams only had three possessions and scored on all of them.
“I think it started with Stafford, with him getting so hot at the beginning, especially the way they came out on that opening drive,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He was attacking our zones with apparent ease. He did a good job of keeping us off balance, and I thought things improved in the second half once we got our timing down.”
After going field goal, touchdown, touchdown and running 32 plays in the first half, the 49ers only allowed the Rams two field goals in the second half — and the last one sailed through the uprights as time expired on a drive that added clock-eating yardage that hurt the Rams more than it helped.
The Rams’ second-half possessions were as follows: punt, Isaiah Oliver interception, punt, field goal, Deommodore Lenoir interception, turnover on downs, and finally the game-winning field goal.
The 49ers only sacked Stafford once, on a Fred Warner blitz in the second half, but they made him uncomfortable and disrupted a rhythm that had the 49ers reeling in the first half. The Rams had just 92 yards rushing on 40 carries in their Week 1 win over Seattle, but were making more strides against the 49ers in the first half (13 carries for 53 yards).
“Overall, we were trying to get stickier in coverage, pressure Stafford a little bit more, and eliminate the running game,” Warner explained. “That running game kept them ahead of the sticks a lot in the first half.” They were accepting what we were offering. We had to speed things up in the back end to make things more difficult for Stafford.”
On the Rams’ first possession of the second half, Oliver made his first big play, tackling Williams on a 3-yard pass from Stafford on third-and-5 at the 49ers’ 49-yard line. Oliver was signed as a free agent from Atlanta to replace nickel back Jimmie Ward. It forced the Rams to punt for the first time in the game. Nick Bosa made a fourth-and-1 stop with 2:23 remaining.
The 49ers’ shaky three-and-out was followed by Oliver’s interception of a Stafford pass that glanced off the hands of Williams. It set up Jake Moody’s 57-yard field goal for a 20-17 lead.
The Rams’ next possession was ended by Warner’s 10-yard sack of Stafford, and the 49ers responded with a seven-play, 74-yard drive that ended with Deebo Samuel’s 11-yard run with a Purdy lateral.
“I kind of wrapped around, and the B gap opened up like the Red Sea,” said Warner.
The Rams cut the deficit to 27-20 with a 48-yard Brett Maher field goal, but the 49ers defense wasn’t finished. With 4:58 remaining, Lenoir stepped in front of Van Jefferson, with Bosa providing pressure on Stafford, resulting in an interception that led to Moody’s 26-yard field goal, effectively ending the game.
When the Rams turned it over on downs in the fourth quarter, Oliver stopped Puka Nacua a yard short of a first down bid.
“I thought he was a stud today,” said Shanahan. “I’m sure he made some big plays. With some of our defensive backs injured, he had to step up because they were all over the place. He did an excellent job back there.”
To their credit, despite having won the previous eight regular-season meetings against the Rams by an average of 14 points per game, the 49ers displayed no signs of arrogance.
Perhaps it’s because the Rams won the big one, capturing the NFC title after the 2021 season. Perhaps it’s because they’re sore after each game against Los Angeles.
“People want to talk about our record against them in the regular season, but it’s always a hard-fought battle, like it was today,” Warner said. “They know who we are, and we know who they are.” They devised an excellent defense strategy. We definitely need to strengthen some things.”
While Bosa did not have any sacks, he did draw two holding penalties and made a late difference. He should only get better after missing all of training camp while his agent negotiated a contract extension.
“I think I needed a couple of games to get my body into football shape for sure,” said Bosa. “You can’t fake it. I’ve been through two of them. This one gave me some good results. “I believe it will only get better from here.”
A week after dominating from start to finish in Week 1, the Rams had more questions for the 49ers defense than the Steelers did. The 49ers eventually had the correct answers.
