49ers choke away 14-point lead in epic collapse to the Rams

These are not the kind of games you can afford to lose as a contender

The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t have started the game better. On their opening possession, they marched 70 yards in under four minutes after Brock Purdy found Jauan Jennings wide-open in the end zone.

There was a roughing the passer call mixed in there, but Jordan Mason had three seven-yard gains and also picked up a first down through the air after making a defender miss.

The defense forced a three-and-out. Nick Bosa nearly had a sack, but his pressure forced Matthew Stafford to flee the pocket and throw an errant pass.

Jacob Cowing fielded his first punt cleanly and picked up nine yards. So, the offense, defense, and special teams all responded well out of the gate.

The offense did not take their foot off the gas on the next drive. Jauan Jennings had a 34-yard reception, Eric Saubert had a 15-yarder, and just like that, the 49ers found themselves inside the red zone thanks to a 9-yard Brandon Aiyuk reception.

The Rams picked up two first downs on the ensuing drive, but a holding penalty and Javon Hargrave beating his man instantaneously off the snap for his first sack of the season made it 2nd & 29. It was a welcomed sight for the Niners defense, which struggled to rush the passer.

On the following drive, Isaac Yiadom gave up a reception on 3rd & 8, but the real story was the change at linebacker. Dee Winters made his season debut, replacing DeVondre Campbell. It didn’t appear to be injury-related. Winters was shaken up after the Rams ran a fake punt. Injuries might be an issue with the young linebacker out of TCU. Campbell re-entered the game. Winters was officially questionable to return with what was ruled an ankle injury.

Winters’ injury and the fake punt would prove to be costly. The Rams would end up scoring on a 16-play, 87-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

Nick Sorensen is telling us that he has zero confidence in De’Vondre Campbell. On 3rd & 2, he took Campbell off the field in favor of a fifth defensive lineman. The Rams ran for two yards and picked up the first down. Sean McVay didn’t ignore Campbell on the next passing play. He isolated him against Campbell in coverage with a running back, and 14 yards later, Kyren Williams flipped into the end zone to cut the lead to 14-7.

Trent Williams left the next possession with cramps. Jaylon Moore replaced him during the two-minute drill, but Colton McKivitz was the tackle to worry about. Rams edge rusher Byron Youn beat McKivitz like a drum, and Brock Purdy didn’t have two hands on the ball. The Rams took over with a short field and had an opportunity to put points on the board. Nick Bosa saved the day, and Maliek Collins cleaned up for a sack.

The 49ers ran a simulated pressure on 2nd & 10. Leonard Floyd dropped into coverage, and Deommodore Lenoir blitzed. Nick Sorensen was changing his looks and throwing Matthew Stafford off. Ji’Ayir Brown won his 1-on-1 matchup on third down after jarring the ball loose in man-to-man coverage to force a punt.

Williams ended up going to the locker room for an I.V. He returned to the field to start the opening series of the third quarter.

The 49ers started the third quarter the same way they opened the game, with a touchdown. An 11-play, 91-yard drive took over six minutes off the clock.

Jordan Mason had a 14-yard rush, but it was Jennings who ran a beautiful double move on 3rd & 5 for a 31-yard touchdown. We’re seeing the depth of the 49ers pass catchers. To me, injuries to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle could be beneficial in the long run as it forces Kyle Shanahan’s hand to get Jennings more involved. Well, Jennings had three touchdowns and surpassed 100 yards midway through the third quarter.

We knew the Rams wouldn’t go away. To begin the drive, Isaac Yiadom committed a 48-yard pass interference penalty. On 3rd & 9, Charvarius Ward gave up a first down in coverage after TuTu Atwell double-caught a pass, but Ward was nowhere to be found in coverage. Rookie Renaro Green replaced Mooney but drew a penalty in the end zone. The Rams ran it in for a touchdown on the ensuing play, and the lead was trimmed to 21-14.

Jennings made the best catch he’s made as a pro, and the Niners needed it. Purdy gave him an opportunity to make a play down the field, and Jennings took advantage:

That 32-yarder was followed up with a 14-yard reception. After a Ronnie Bell drop, Purdy made one linebacker miss, then got another defensive back in the air after a pump fake for a critical first down run on 3rd & 4.

The offense failed to convert a 3rd & 1, which meant Jake Moody would make an appearance. Moody’s field goal was good, and San Francisco had a 24-14 lead.

Stafford and McVay always have a punching chance, regardless of who the receivers are. This time, it was a 32-yard pass and a trick play for 34 yards that ended up being the reason the Rams made it into the red zone.

With just under eight minutes to play, the Rams picked up a 4th & 1 run against another five-defensive line look with one linebacker. A protection bust led to a Campbell sack, making it 3rd & goal from the 15.

The Rams kicked a field goal to bring the score within seven. Talanoa Hufanga was not on the field, as the Niners had plans to manage his snap count. Malik Mustapha played safety.

The 49ers offense took over with just over six minutes to play and a seven-point lead. They’d need to flip the field at the very worst. Scoring here would all but end the drive. Instead of running the ball, Jennings caught another first-down pass. That brought him up to 163 yards and nine receptions.

Kyle Juszczyk was flagged for a questionable holding call on first down. Purdy held the ball for ten seconds on the next play. Back-t-back completions to Jennings made it 3rd & 8 from the 40. A first down would likely end the game, but a couple of yards would’ve put the offense in field goal range for Moody.

It felt like Purdy scrambled side to side for 100 yards after taking about 20 seconds off the clock. Moody’s field goal attempt from 55 yards was no good, which meant the Niners' defense would need to hold.

On first down, Stafford fired a deep bomb to Atwell, and Ward got caught napping. The Rams picked up 50 yards and had first and goal from the five. Hufanga came back into the game, but it was too late, as the Rams ran it for a score to tie the game at 24.

Purdy and the offense would have 1:51 to play with one timeout. The Rams had shown little ability to stop them, so not all hope was lost.

Brandon Aiyuk caught a first-down pass on second down. The Purdy-Aiyuk connection had been off all day, and that was again the case on the next play. Purdy delivered a dime after climbing the pocket to Ronnie Bell, but Bell dropped what would’ve been the game-sealing pass. Shanahan threw his hands in the air in disgust. On 3rd & 10, Purdy was sacked, and you could see Jennings’ frustration as the offense was forced to punt.

Los Angeles returned the punt for 37 yards, and a defensive pass interference penalty on Campbell put the Rams into field goal range. It was an epic collapse that you could see unfolding the second Moody’s kick was wide left, and it was Murphy’s Law from there.

Joshua Karty’s 37-yard field goal was good, and the 49ers lost what felt like an easily winnable game 27-24.