Tag: rams week 16

4 takeaways from Rams’ Week 16 loss to 49ers

The Rams’ season is all but over with one meaningless game remaining.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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.

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Rams injury report: Greg Zuerlein and Troy Hill DNP, Gerald Everett limited

The Rams released their first injury report of the week on Tuesday and three players were listed.

Following their 44-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams have a short turnaround this week before their next game. They’ll take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night, giving them one fewer day to prepare for their upcoming opponent.

As a result, they were back in action already on Tuesday, though not in typical practice capacity. The Rams held a walk-thru instead of a full practice, releasing an injury report afterwards. It provided more clarity on Greg Zuerlein, Troy Hill and Gerald Everett, all of whom were listed.

Zuerlein and Hill missed practice with thigh and thumb injuries, respectively, while Everett returned in a limited capacity after missing the last few weeks of practice.

Sean McVay said Monday that the injuries to Zuerlein and Hill aren’t overly concerning and both have a chance to play Saturday. Hill underwent surgery to repair his broken thumb but may play in a cast this weekend.

One notable omission from the injury report was Jared Goff, who hurt his thumb early in Sunday’s game. McVay said he’s feeling good and was wearing a sleeve on his thumb during the walk-thru, but the injury isn’t a problem as of now.