The San Francisco 49ers faced a devastating defeat against the Los Angeles Rams, allowing six touchdowns during the game in a 42-26 loss on Sunday. The performance of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford raised concerns about the 49ers” lack of aggressive action before the recent trade deadline, especially given the significant injuries plaguing their defense.
Injuries have severely impacted the 49ers” defensive unit, with key players such as Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and Mykel Williams sidelined for the season. Coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the challenges posed by the missing personnel, stating, “We all know that it”s a challenge with how many guys that are missing on D, so we truly understand that.” He added, “I know we can do better than what we did today though and I believe the offense can do better than what they did today.”
Despite the injuries, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had managed to keep the team competitive throughout the season. San Francisco made a minor trade to bring in defensive lineman Keion White from New England, who contributed to the only sack recorded by the 49ers during the game. However, after losing Williams to a torn ACL, the team opted not to pursue additional trades.
“We believe everybody, even backups here, is a starter,” said cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. “So next man up is always the mentality.” Unfortunately for the 49ers, the Rams proved too formidable, capitalizing on the weaknesses in the defense with a potent array of offensive weapons.
San Francisco struggled to contain the Rams, allowing them to score touchdowns on their first three drives, marking the first time an opponent has achieved this against the 49ers since 2019. The defense could not halt the Rams in the second half, failing to make a single stop.
Linebacker Tatum Bethune expressed frustration, stating, “We just aren”t executing. There”s no real explanation. We just have to play harder and get the job done. We just have to play harder, just be able to execute.” The 49ers managed to cut a 21-point deficit to a single possession with two touchdowns in the second half but could not stop Stafford and the Rams.
Defensive tackle Kalia Davis remarked on Stafford”s performance, saying, “He”s really impressive. I remember I was watching him in high school, and he”s still out there doing it at his age. It”s incredible. I feel like we were doing a lot of stuff to make it easy on him, so we just got to execute better.”
This game marked a significant low point for the 49ers, as it was only the fifth instance in nearly five decades that they allowed six touchdown drives to an opposing team at home.
