San Francisco 49ers defensive back Deommodore Lenoir intercepts a pass in the second half in his team’s 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday SEP 17, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)
by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic
Ownage is ownage no matter how pretty or how ugly it gets.
The San Francisco 49ers defense stepped up to the plate in the second half as they defeated the Los Angeles Rams for the ninth straight time in the regular season in a 30-23 victory on Sunday afternoon at a pro-49er crowd at SoFi Stadium.
San Francisco continued its dominance over the Los Angeles down in “South San Francisco” with their second consecutive win. Los Angles dropped to .500 after stunning Seattle last week.
The 49ers (2-0) began the game with a methodical 11 play 75-yard drive on its opening possession that resulted in a 14-yard rushing touchdown by running back Christian McCaffery. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who had two catches on the drive, was injured but was able to return and finish the game.
Los Angeles (1-1) has surrounded veteran quarterback Matt Stafford with an arsenal of young weapons with running back Kyren Williams and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. All three had good games against one of the NFL’s best defenses.
After trading field goals early in the first half, the Rams evened the score on its second possession. The drive began with good field position when 49ers rookie kicker Jake Moody kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff after his 27-yard field goal.
Stafford found Williams on the outside with a screen pass and Williams motored into the endzone for his first career receiving touchdown with 9:49 left in the second quarter.
The Rams gained its first and only lead of the game when they marched down the field on a 11 play 88-yard drive that was finished off when Williams rumbled his way into the end zone from the 49ers four-yard line with 1:45 remaining.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy needed just seven plays to march his offense down the field to even the score with his one-yard quarterback sneak as time expired in the first half.
The 49ers defense, which looked suspect in the first half, dominated the second half as they only allowed two field goals, one at the end of the game with the outcome already in hand, to Los Angeles as they began to pressure Stafford and kept Williams ground attack in check.
“Trying to get more stickier in coverage, pressure Stafford a little more. Trying to eliminate the run game… We had to tighten things up on the back end try to make it a little bit harder on Stafford,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said.
Purdy didn’t have his sharpen game in a 49ers uniform as he missed three wide open throws that would have been for big gains if not touchdown receptions.
“Couple opportunities that I missed in terms of the deep ball but we found a way to win…I just overthrew them. One to BA (Aiyuk), to Deebo (Samuel), JJ (Jauan Jennings) on 3rd down. Those are on me. I’ve got to be better, I’ve got to hit ‘em in stride & not overthrow them. Simple as that,” Purdy said.
The momentum changing moment in the game came when Isaiah Oliver intercepted Stafford with 4:10 left in the third quarter when the ball intended for Williams bounced off the running back hands and into Oliver’s who returned it three yards.
“I think what sealed it and allowed separate ourselves was the two turnovers, we got” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. “One Demmo (Deommodore Lenoir) with the awesome job jumping that and then Isaiah (Oliver) with the tip. I was just pumped with the way we finished (the game).”
San Francisco cashed in on the turnover as Moody converted a 57-yard field goal to give the 49ers back the lead at 20-17.
The 49ers put the game away early in the fourth quarter after forcing the Rams on a three and out on offense. Deebo Samuel finished off a seven play 74-yard drive when he took a pitch from Purdy and ran down the left sideline and back into the middle of the field breaking a tackle along the way for a 11-yard rushing touchdown, his first overall touchdown of the season.
“(The corner) He shots his guns but luckily, he shot at my foot & I was able to break the tackle & just get in the end zone. You can just see all the guys how determined they were to get me in the end zone w/all the blocking,” Samuel said.
Once again, the 49ers’ defensive ability to get pressure on Stafford forced a turnover as Los Angeles was trying to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Lenoir stepped in front of a pass intended for Van Jefferson for his first interception on the season, Stafford’s second, with 4:48 left in the fourth quarter to seal the win for San Francisco.
Purdy finished 17 of 25 for 206 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. McCaffery led all rushers with 116 yards on 20 carries, including a 51-yarder that set up Moody’s first field goal. It is McCaffery’s second consecutive game with a 100-yard plus rushing game. Samuel led the 49ers in receiving with six catches for 63 yards.
Stafford went 34 of 55 for 307 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Williams paced the Rams rushing attack with 52 yards on 14 carries. Nacua led all receivers with 15 catches for 147 yards. Atwell chipped in seven catches for 77 yards.
Nacua became the first player in NFL history to have 10 plus catches for 100 plus yards in each of his first two games to start a season.
GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 2-for-9 on third down conversions. Los Angeles was 7-for-14.
McCaffery has scored a touchdown in 11 consecutive games.
49ers tight end George Kittle, who had three catches for 30 yards, recorded his 400th reception on his second reception of the game. Kittle reached the mark in the fewest amount of games in franchise history (84 games). It is also the NFL’s fourth fewest amount of games by a tight end.
UP NEXT: San Francisco has a short week as they host the New York Giants in their home opener on Thursday 9/21 at 5:15pm at Levi’s Stadium.
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