Thoughts and observations from 49ers blowout win over Rams

The 49ers needed that one. In a divisional showdown against the Rams on Monday Night Football, San Francisco got another outstanding defensive performance and this time the 49ers offense did enough to hold up their end of the bargain in a 24-9 victory at Levi’s Stadium.

Here are our observations from Monday night:

First quarter

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– These 49ers throwback jerseys are so sick.

– Tons of Cooper Kupp early on. The 49ers, like every other team, don’t have a great answer for the star WR.

– San Francisco’s defense is getting downhill VERY aggressively against the run. That could come back to hurt them on play action.

– Dre Greenlaw is all over the place the last couple weeks.

– Samson Ebukam came up with a sack because nobody blocked him. He’ll take it against his former team.

– Nice job stiffening up by the 49ers defense. Los Angeles was knocking on the door of the red zone, but the sack by Ebukam brought up a third-and-19 and the Rams wound up kicking a field goal. Good first series.

– On a second-and-9 the 49ers left Aaron Donald unblocked. That is poor football.

– The 49ers first third-down conversion was on their first drive instead of the fourth quarter. That’s a nice change.

– Another third-down conversion on a third-and-5. Both throws have gone to Jauan Jennings.

– Whew. A first-and-10 run to Jeff Wilson Jr. goes for a 32-yard house call and the 49ers are up 7-3. Charlie Woerner and George Kittle both had excellent blocks on the play. RG Spencer Burford was also pulling and clearing out bodies. Perfectly-executed by San Francisco.

– Sheesh. Nick Bosa’s fifth sack of the year ends the Rams’ second series. He is hard to block for good offensive fronts. LA does not have a good one. It looked like a stunt of some kind freed up the defensive end to get a clear shot at the QB.

End of first quarter: 49ers 7, Rams 3

Second quarter

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– The 49ers have done better about getting into third-and-manageable situations, but Jennings dropped a third-and-6 throw that might’ve extended San Francisco’s second series.

– Stafford looks antsy in the pocket. He missed a third-down throw to Allen Robinson where Charvarius Ward had tight coverage. Deommodore Lenoir did an excellent job on Cooper Kupp on that rep as well. Kupp had three catches for 27 yards on LA’s first series, and he hasn’t had a catch in two series since.

– Garoppolo had Charlie Woerner on a shot play and the TE couldn’t hang on. It looked like Garoppolo might’ve thrown it over the wrong shoulder, but it still should’ve been caught.

– Oof. Third-and-10, and Garoppolo had Jennings wide open but he threw it way too high. That’s a pretty disappointing series from the QB.

– Nice coverage by Fred Warner on Kupp in the red zone and another field goal for the Rams. Emmanuel Moseley also had a good open-field tackle on Kupp that drive.

– DEEBOOOOOOOOOOO ALDKJFLKDSJFLAJKDSLKJFDLSFKJLDS

– Lotta Fred Warner blitzes tonight.

– Now Deommodore Lenoir gets a sack. That’s his first-career sack and the team’s fourth of the first half.

Halftime: 49ers 14, Rams 6

Third quarter

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

– A George Kittle sighting! His first target comes on the second play of the second half and Garoppolo made a nice throw in a tight window and Kittle hauled it in for 20 yards.

– Oof. Garoppolo on third-and-5 missed Kyle Juszczyk wide open down the middle of the field. Instead he fired it in to Samuel for no gain and the 49ers punted.

– The 49ers have no answers for the Rams when Stafford gets time to throw.

– Another Bosa sack.

– What a pass breakup by Mooney Ward in the end zone. He’s been such a good addition for San Francisco.

– The 49ers defense stands tall in the red zone again and forces another field goal, though that time it doesn’t seem like as much of a win since Tashaun Gipson dropped an interception in the end zone. It feels like Stafford is dying to turn it over in this game.

– Kyle Juszczyk is such a weapon when the 49ers want to use him.

End of third quarter: 49ers 14, Rams 9

Fourth quarter

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

– Man. Great throw from Garoppolo to Kittle, but the TE couldn’t get his feet down in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal from the 1.

– Instead of going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, the 49ers kicked a short field goal to make it 17-9. A touchdown would’ve made it a two-score game and LA would’ve needed 99 yards for a score. That’s a tough call, but it’s hard to blame head coach Kyle Shanahan for making it an eight-point game.

– Kittle and Garoppolo got mixed up on a route. The throw went outside when Kittle went inside. That’s a scary situation, but the throw sailed safely out of bounds instead.

– Robbie Gould missed a 42-yard field goal. That’s … suboptimal. Instead of an 11-point game with 8:38 left it’s still 17-9 and a one-score contest.

– NIGHT NIGHT. A pick-six from Talanoa Hufanga that was almost identical to the one Fred Warner had against the Rams in 2019 should about seal this one. Huge, huge play from the 49ers strong safety.

– Sack No. 6 on the night comes from … *checks notes* … Hassan Ridgeway? Sure!

– Samson Ebukam forces a fumble on a third-and-10 — that’ll do it from Levi’s Stadium. What a performance from the 49ers.

Final: 49ers 24, Rams 9

Story originally appeared on Niners Wire