The Los Angels Rams woes on offense became too much to overcome in their 23-20 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Robbie Gould nailed a 42-yard field goal as time expired to hand the 49ers the victory.
The Rams fell to 7-4 and just out of first place in the NFC West, while the 49ers improved to 5-6 and improved their chances at a late playoff push. The loss was the Rams’ first at home in 2020.
Offense and Goff’s Rough Day
Jared Goff had a less than ideal day at SoFi Stadium. His 19 of 31 and 198 yard performance was paired with two interceptions and a fumble, marking his fourth game in a row where he’s given up the ball. His most costly mistake came on the second play of the second half when 49ers rookie Javon Kinlaw picked off Goff and scored, accounting for all of their points off turnovers.
On the other hand, the Rams had a bit more fortune on points off turnovers, scoring 10. However, seven of those came from special teams. In all, both offenses failed to execute with multiple chanced handed to them by their respective defenses.
Rams head coach Sean McVay did not parse words after the game. “Our quarterback has got to take better care of the football,” he said of Goff’s performance. With his two interceptions and fumble today, Goff has now thrown 10 this season and fumbled seven times, losing four.
The issues seen today did not end with Goff. The Rams saw Goff sacked twice and the offense give up six tackles for loss.
The Rams were forced to punt six times in the game. The last time they did so? A week six loss to none other than the 49ers.
Rams Caught 49ers at the Wrong Time
Despite sitting at 4-6 and with Nick Mullens at the helm, the 49ers got some key pieces to aid in their NFC West matchup against the Rams. Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson Jr., Raheem Mostert, and Richard Sherman all suited up, and made an impact.
Samuel had a career high 11 catches and amassed 113 yards along the way. Mostert added a score on 16 carries for 43 yards, while Wilson also had 43 yards on 12 carries. Sherman’s afternoon had him co-lead the team in tackles with seven and had one of Goff’s two interceptions.
Next Up for the Rams
The Rams will travel to Glendale, AZ to take on the 6-5 Arizona Cardinals. Kickoff is slated for 1:05pm PST from State Farm Stadium.