49ers bemoan errors in 'unacceptable' loss

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As he addressed his staff Saturday evening, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan issued a stern warning about the kind of opponent the Los Angeles Rams could be on Sunday.

Though the winless Rams had been coming off an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals and had been as depleted by accidents as any staff within the league, Shanahan anticipated Los Angeles to play with loads of urgency and desperation.

“You have to take their hope away,” Shanahan stated. “You give [Rams quarterback Matthew] Stafford an excessive amount of hope [and] you place a ball in his arms on the finish, it is not a state of affairs you need to be in.”

Alas, that was exactly the state of affairs the Niners had been in late Sunday afternoon. Regardless of leaping out to a 14-point lead, San Francisco was unable to construct on its early momentum due to particular groups miscues, defensive breakdowns and offensive errors on the best way to a surprising 27-24 loss.

The Niners dropped their second consecutive recreation, falling to 1-2, and misplaced to an NFC West division opponent for the primary time with Brock Purdy because the beginning quarterback. After the sport, Shanahan described his staff as “pissed” at how a victory slipped away. That frustration was obvious within the locker room as vast receiver Jauan Jennings, who had almost carried the Niners to a win with a career-best outing, declined to talk to the media.

“It was unacceptable,” linebacker Fred Warner stated. “We will not do this. We will not beat ourselves. Cannot make these kind of errors once more. All three phases have gotten to play higher. We’ll take a look at the tape, repair it and transfer on.”

A proud 49ers staff that has been to no less than the NFC Championship Sport in 4 of the previous 5 years has a lot to repair. The Niners entered Sunday and not using a trio of their finest gamers — injured star operating again Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis), receiver Deebo Samuel (calf) and tight finish George Kittle (hamstring) — however the Rams felt little sympathy as additionally they are lacking loads of injured gamers.

For San Francisco, the sport took a flip for the more severe with 6:22 left within the second quarter and the Rams going through a fourth-and-6 from their 43. Down by two scores with little to lose, it was an apparent spot for a pretend punt, a lot in order that Shanahan and the Niners known as the punt return with the expectation of a pretend.

It did not matter, because the direct snap to Rams operating again Ronnie Rivers become a 7-yard achieve and, ultimately, the Rams’ first landing. As an alternative of a possible three-score deficit, the Rams had been left with loads of hope. That was solely bolstered by continued San Francisco blunders on particular groups.

After permitting a blocked punt in final week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Niners allowed the pretend punt conversion, missed a 55-yard discipline purpose and yielded a 38-yard punt return to arrange the Rams’ successful discipline purpose.

“That is the place I believed we had an opportunity to run away with it, not give them any hope,” Shanahan stated. “That gave them a variety of hope. Bought them again in it … these are three large performs within the recreation.”

Particular groups wasn’t the one subject for the Niners on Sunday. A protection that held the Rams to zero factors, 29 yards and one first down within the opening quarter allowed Los Angeles to publish 27 factors, 267 yards and 18 first downs over the ultimate three. The Niners additionally didn’t power a turnover as Stafford authored his forty fifth game-winning drive within the fourth quarter or additional time, seventh most because the 1970 merger.

The 14-point comeback win is the most important by the Rams beneath coach Sean McVay and largest total since Week 2 of the 2012 season.

“I believe we have now to really feel the loss,” finish Nick Bosa stated. “We will not simply transfer on and act prefer it’s tremendous … The NFL, it is up and down, and regardless of how gifted you suppose you’re, you must play good on Sunday.”

Regardless of all of that, the Niners nonetheless had an opportunity to win, largely due to Jennings and Purdy. Beginning rather than Samuel, Jennings delivered a recreation to recollect with 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns, changing into the fourth participant in franchise historical past to have 175 receiving yards and three scores in the identical recreation.

Purdy, in the meantime, did not miss a beat with out his regular weapons, ending 22-of-30 for 292 yards and three touchdowns with a 137.1 passer ranking. However these numbers may have been higher as Purdy did not get a lot assist from cross catchers not named Jennings. The Niners had been charged with three drops, although they’d others worn out by penalties.

None was greater than the deep cross Purdy fired to an open Ronnie Bell down the fitting sideline with 1:08 to go. Purdy’s cross was on course and Bell had a clear probability at a giant catch to arrange a possible game-winning discipline purpose. As an alternative, Bell dropped it and the Niners had been pressured to punt to arrange the Rams’ closing drive.

The loss made Purdy the third 49ers sign caller (alongside Joe Montana and Steve Younger) to lose a recreation during which he accomplished no less than 70% of his passes and three or extra touchdowns. It additionally dropped the Niners under the .500 mark for the primary time with Purdy because the starter.

At 1-2, the Niners are nicely conscious that there’s loads of season left. Their locker room is filled with gamers who’ve helped them dig out of much more troublesome spots within the latest previous. However additionally they know alternatives like Sunday’s can come again to hang-out them later within the 12 months.

“That is simply a part of the NFL and being an expert in an expert sport, all people’s actually good,” Purdy stated. “Final 12 months means completely nothing. And each time you present up on Sunday, you are going to get all people’s finest shot. It is the NFL and all of us must be actual with that. We have now to have the mindset of going and taking it each Sunday and nothing’s ever going to be given to us.”