The Jimmy Garoppolo-led San Francisco 49ers stymied the Los Angeles Rams, holding them to just nine points before allowing a deep touchdown with less than four minutes remaining.
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Story Of The Game
After being pulled from their Week 5 contest against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo bounced back and looked as poised as ever from the pocket. He was pressured on just five of his 34 dropbacks, completing 75% of his passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He looked much more comfortable putting weight on his right ankle, which had sidelined him for Weeks 3 and 4.
George Kittle and Deebo Samuel definitely made their QB’s life easier. Although he had a couple of drops, Kittle was his usual dominant self, catching seven passes for 107 yards and one score. Samuel was not far behind him, reeling in all six of his targets for 66 yards and another touchdown.
The running game was not as efficient as we have come to expect, as the entire team averaged just 3.3 yards per carry en route to 122 yards and no scores on the ground. Much of the credit has to be given to the Rams’ defensive line, as they were prepared for the 49ers’ zone run scheme and stuck to their assignments.
Even though the defensive line was stellar against the run, they were unable to pressure Garoppolo. Aaron Donald generated just two QB pressures, the fewest he has recorded since Week 15 of 2019. This was largely due to the 49ers double-teaming him on nearly every snap and requiring their signal-caller to get rid of the ball quickly.
Jared Goff struggled to get anything going with the offense. He averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt and completed just 50% of his passes. He was pressured on eight dropbacks and completed just one of his seven passes when pressured for four yards en route to a passer rating of 39.6, good for seventh-worst on the week.
The Rams had only one player net over 50 receiving yards, and that was tight end Tyler Higbee. A key reason for Goff’s inability to connect with his wide receivers was the emergence of 49ers’ cornerback Jason Verrett. On three targets, Verrett allowed zero receptions and snatched one interception while dropping another.
Darrell Henderson was the only effective player on the Rams’ offense, gaining 88 yards on 14 carries, but he was unable to reach the end zone.
Rookie Watch
There were not many rookies who saw the field tonight for either team. 49ers first-round receiver Brandon Aiyuk received 62 snaps, more than any other receiver on the roster. He only had four targets and caught just two for 12 yards, but he did grab a touchdown just before halftime. Undrafted running back JaMycal Hasty entered the game to relieve Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon, earning 37 yards on nine carries. Defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw also took the field for 41 snaps, but he only recorded one QB pressure in the contest.
The Rams finished the contest with no rookies earning over nine snaps.
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