The Rams played into January the last two years, but in 2019, their season ends in December. They were beaten by the 49ers 34-31 on Saturday night in Santa Clara, dropping their record 8-7 – and more importantly, eliminating them from playoff contention.
Here are four takeaways from the loss, which ended in heartbreaking fashion.
Two plays don’t define the defense’s performance
The Rams defense played well against the 49ers on Saturday night, but their performance will be remembered for two plays – both of which came on third-and-16. Incredibly, they each happened on the 49ers’ game-winning drive. The first was on a throw over the middle Kendrick Bourne between two defenders, but the second was the real back-breaker.
Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp had a mix-up in coverage, which allowed Emmanuel Sanders to run open for 46 yards. Three plays later, the ball was through the uprights and the Rams were heading home with a loss.
The @49ers are into Rams territory!
On 3rd & 16, @JimmyG_10 connects deep with @ESanders_10! #GoNiners
📺: #LARvsSF on @nflnetwork
Watch now on your 📱: https://t.co/15uggOKLoO
How to watch on any device: https://t.co/wC2BGvZiHo pic.twitter.com/clp8XYLBYL— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2019
Outside of that final drive, the Rams defense allowed just 274 yards and 27 points – seven of which came on a pick-six thrown by Jared Goff. The 49ers rushed for 119 yards, which was below their 147-yard average, while Jimmy Garoppolo threw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 71.2.
They’ve had better performances, but considering the opponent and the short fields San Francisco had to work with, the defense did enough to win the game.