By Morris Phillips

Since the inception of NFL instant video replay and review, you’ve heard “The ruling on the field stands,” hundreds of times.

Just not in a team’s home stadium filled with disbelieving fans as the game’s effective conclusion.

The 49ers didn’t play well on Sunday, and then with an implicitly clear opportunity to beat the Rams anyway, Colin Kaepernick fumbled and they lost.

The Rams recovered Kaepernick’s fumble at the goal line with two seconds remaining and walked away with a 13-10 win in the first meeting of the longtime rivals in Levi’s Stadium.  San Francisco has dropped two straight surrounding their bye week and are 4-4, trailing first place Arizona by three games in the NFC West.

Not a good day at all for the 2014 NFC finalists turned average team through the first half of 2015.  Then throw in eight sacks, botched snaps, questionable play calling, more penalties and a poor punt, and any assessment of the 49er’s performance could eliminate mention of two questionable referee calls that affected the outcome, and still be fair.

‘I know I crossed the line,” Kaepernick said of the final play in which he bobbled rookie Mike Martin’s snap, recovered and then fumbled when a sneaky Ram’s arm knocked the ball loose.  “I was looking into the end zone.”

While Kaepernick may have been correct in his view of what happened, the video replay crew back in New York simply weren’t gifted with an angle that would warrant a reversal.  The play happened in a crowd, and the exact point where Kap lost the ball and where he was in relationship to the goal line at the point wasn’t revealed multiple camera angles.

“On the last play it went into a pile, and there was nothing we could see that could change the ruling on the field,” referee Jerome Boger said.

The review officials seemed to have of a proper video angle on Tayvon Austin’s attempt to return a missed field goal out of the end zone, but they weren’t swayed, ruling that Austin’s forward progress would be honored and that he do not of his will retreat slightly when he was tackled in the end zone by Derek Carrier.  The play could have gained the 49ers two points on a safety, instead it was just a confusing end to the half.

Still no one or two plays could outshine the vicious nature of the Rams’ pass rush and the failings of the offensive line, minus center Daniel Kilgore, that’s allowed 14 sacks in the last two games. The 49ers offense was stuck throughout the game, and went scoreless in the second half.  The defense played admirably, but the team was beaten by a Greg Zuerlein field goal with 5:25 remaining.

On the 49ers’ final possession, a pass interference call and a defensive holding call greatly aided the 49ers’ drive to the goal line, but they couldn’t cash in the opportunity.  Kaepernick blew past the Rams in St. Louis, but couldn’t gain any consistency on Sunday.  The Rams made strategical changes, and used familiarity and grit to make sure the 49ers couldn’t establish Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde in the run game, and got after the quarterback in a big way.

“It’s a tribute to our front four.  They got pressure, they got pressure early, and they sacked him,” Michael Brockers said.

Kaepernick looked frustrated afterwards, with the loss, his play and probably the line in front of him that hasn’t had consistency in personnel at any point this season.  And when all those misfortunes intersect and Kaepernick’s providing the answers, the rhythm is familiar.

“That’s why I’m here to make plays regardless of the situation,” Kaepernick said.  “I have to be better back there.”

The 49ers face a difficult test to avoid falling below .500 in New Orleans—once again—where Drew Brees and the Saints await on Sunday at 10:00am PST.