What the 49ers are saying after beating the Rams
The 49ers beat the Rams for the ninth straight time in the regular season
The 49ers are undefeated heading into their first home game of the 2023 season.
They defeated the Rams 30-23 on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, winning a close game against their division rivals thanks to two second-half interceptions.
Brock Purdy finished 17-of-25 with no touchdowns or interceptions. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards on 20 carries, while Deebo Samuel caught six passes for 63 yards and scored on a quick screen that was technically counted as a run.
Cornerbacks Isaiah Oliver, who made a juggling catch on a deflected pass inside 49ers territory, and Deommodore Lenoir, who jumped a route in the fourth quarter to stop a potential game-tying drive, both had interceptions.
On the ensuing possessions, the Niners converted both interceptions into field goals, with rookie Jake Moody nailing all three of his attempts, including a 57-yarder.
Following the game, Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had the following to say:
Kyle Shanahan
Concerning Aiyuk’s injury:
I know he was hurting a little, but he was able to play through it, so everything will be fine.
What made a difference:
The two turnovers were what sealed it and allowed us to separate ourselves. I was ecstatic with how we finished.
Purdy’s blunders:
Aside from those three misses, none of which were easy, he was in charge of the football.
Why he chose it to end the first half:
We were almost there. They were also scoring a lot of points, so we needed points and believed we could do it.
Until the end of Bosa’s quiet day:
I saw him make a few plays at the end, and I believe he pressured him at times.
In terms of defensive playcalling:
I thought Steve did a good job of mixing it up, especially being aggressive at the end.
Regarding the Rams:
We watched the film from last week, and that quarterback is still as good as he’s always been, as is Aaron Donald, and they’re both very well coached, as we saw last week. They’ve got some new schemes, and I know they’ve changed some of the players from the past, but there are still some Hall of Famers playing at a high level.
Regarding Donald, who had no tackles:
We just gave him everything because if you don’t, he wrecks everything.
Regarding progress:
We still have a long way to go. I thought we did the same thing last week. We’re hoping that things will improve this week and throughout the year.
On offense for the Rams:
I believe it all started with Stafford. Just him getting so hot at the start, and especially the way they came out on that opening drive, attacking our zones and looking pretty effortless at it… He did an excellent job of keeping us off balance, and once we tightened up a little bit in the second half, things began to improve.
On the final play of the first half:
We didn’t have any timeouts, so running the ball is only an option if you’re confident you’ll score. That’s why we tried to complete the other plays as quickly as possible. That’s why you tell Brock that if it’s not there, throw it away as soon as possible. One was nearly too high. So I was worried that they’d take another second. But, once you get to the final play, anything is possible because the game will be over after that. So that’s the only time when everything is really on the table.
Nick Bosa
On how to improve in the second half:
We made some changes in the run game that I believe helped. And turnovers… obviously, that helps, and we got into some of our pressures on earlier downs, which is beneficial against them.
Regarding his emotions:
I’m not worried about it. I’m in a good mood. I believe I needed a couple of games to get my body into football shape — you can’t fake it. And now that I’ve completed two and had some pretty good output for this one, I believe I’ll only be going up from here.
Regarding not taking the Rams lightly:
Always with the Rams and division rivals. And they still have a lot of the cornerstone pieces from previous runs, so you never expect to walk through an opponent.
On his performance:
I definitely think I improved from last week. I was much more at ease. I had some responses to some of the questions thrown at me, and there are definitely some things I want to work on, which is difficult, especially (with a game coming up) Thursday night.
Christian McCaffrey
Regarding the matchup:
They know who we are, and we know who they are. So, obviously, those will be difficult games at times.
On his thoughts on the game:
I always wait to watch the tape before making broad assumptions, but I believe we took care of the ball energetically, which I believe was important.
On the run:
I saw some fantastic blocks. Deebo had a fantastic block. Jauan had a fantastic block, moving and doing what he does. Following that, instincts take over, but George also had a great block at the point of attack. All day, Juice, all those guys. The offensive line works extremely hard and fights for every yard. I adore those guys.
Regarding what he said to Witherspoon:
Just a simple ‘What’s up, man? ‘Nice to see you.’ It was just a casual conversation.
On the offensive line, there are three players:
Obviously, they’re being coached by one of the best to ever do it, and the way it fits into the scheme is crucial. I just see a lot of guys who know how to play well together. They know how to close certain gaps, they communicate effectively, and they play hard.
Regarding Brock Purdy:
Everyone is less surprised when he makes great plays and makes good decisions because that’s just who he is.
On the importance of familiarity with the offense:
You run with your eyes and your feet follow, so knowing where to put your eyes on every run and what you know, what the scheme is trying to accomplish, is extremely important, so simply having more wisdom under my belt is extremely important.
Brock Purdy
Regarding the missed deep balls:
In my opinion, there were a couple of opportunities out there that I obviously missed. In terms of the deep… I need to improve; I need to hit them in stride rather than overthrow them. It’s as simple as that.
On the field:
We knew it was going to come down to not turning the ball over today. For myself, it’s like, man, I’ve got to make plays for my team while also protecting the ball more than anything else.
On the two-minute drill that will conclude the first half:
When I first arrived here, I was exposed to Kyle’s perspective on two-minute drives for the first time. Obviously, you want to score and put points on the board. But, you know, there are times when you don’t need to do it as quickly so that you don’t give the ball back to the opposing team to do the same.
On the sneak and Garoppolo’s history with sneaks:
We’re always trying to figure out what Jimmy does so well with the QB sneak, you know, for the team. He just found little creases and whatnot, but he had the shoulder pads down and would find a way, so that was about it.
Regarding missed opportunities:
I believe that dwelling on it, living in the past, and beating yourself up about it can hinder your game moving forward. So there’s a fine line to walk. When the game is over, it’s like, yeah, be tough on yourself, learn from it. But you have to find a way to move on and play a clean game right then and there in the moment.
Fred Warner
What differed in the second half:
That run game kept them a lot ahead of the sticks in the first half. They were accepting what we were offering. We had to tighten things up in the back end to make things more difficult for Stafford.
Regarding Oliver’s interception:
Isaiah was right there when the running back tipped the ball into his hands. Made a huge play at a critical juncture.
Regarding the Rams:
It’s a division rival. We get to see them twice a year. Every time we play those guys, it’s been a tough battle for us. People want to talk about our regular-season record against them. It was always a hard-fought battle, just like today’s game.
Regarding fellow BYU alum Puka Nacua:
Puka Nacua, my guy, had a great game. Every time I turned around, he was catching the ball and falling forward, with two guys clinging to him.
Deebo Samuel
Regarding his touchdown:
We knew I was going to be one-on-one with the corner and he shot his gun, but luckily he shot at my foot and I was able to break the tackle and get in the end zone. You can just see how determined all of the guys were to get me in the end zone.
On how to improve from here:
We’re going to keep a close eye on this. We know Kyle is going to come down hard on us. We blew several opportunities, and I believe we missed four touchdowns. But that’s why we practice.
Regarding the two-minute drill:
That’s something we do every day during the two-minute drill and the time management plays. I think Brock does an excellent job, and Kyle does an excellent job of putting us in a good position.
