49ers grades in brutal Week 3 meltdown loss to Rams

INGLEWOOD — This one hurts.

And it should hurt.

“I think we have to feel the loss, for sure,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said. “We can’t just move on and act like it’s fine.”

The previously winless Los Angeles Rams capitalized on all of the 49ers’ mistakes to pull out a come-from-behind 27-24 win over their NFC West rivals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

The 49ers blew a lead of 14 points or more for the first time since the 2018 season.

And what should be even more painful is how the 49ers blew it.

The Rams had diminished star power from what the 49ers have played against in the past. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald retired in the offseason. And their two best receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, were out with injuries.

The 49ers were playing without some of their top players, too. But the way this game developed, that's no excuse.

Here’s is a look at the 49ers’ grades from their embarrassing Week 3 loss to the Rams:

Rushing offense

The 49ers featured a balanced offense with 34 rushing attempts and 31 drop backs in the passing game.

Running back Jordan Mason gained 77 yards on 19 rushing attempts for a 4.1-yard average. Quarterback Brock Purdy had the same rushing average on 10 carries — some quarterback sneaks and some scrambles.

Rookie Isaac Guerendo got his most-extensive playing time, adding 19 yards on five carries.

All in all, it was a so-so showing for the running game. It was not bad; it was not great.

Grade: C-plus

Passing offense

This is a difficult area to grade because the good was really good, and the bad was really bad.

Purdy completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 292 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His passer rating was 137.1.

Jauan Jennings was outstanding. He was the best player on the field, catching 11 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns.

As far as the bad. . . 

Purdy was sacked only one time, but that resulted in a fumble when Rams edge Byron Young got past right tackle Colton McKivitz. That play took away a potential scoring opportunity at the end of the first half, but it did not result in any points.

The worst parts for the passing game were the critical drops from Brandon Aiyuk and Ronnie Bell.

The 49ers had a chance to win the game late in regulation, but Bell could not hold onto an easy catch opportunity. That play would have potentially put San Francisco in position for a short field goal for the win.

If the grade were solely for Purdy and Jennings, it would be an A-plus. If it were for Aiyuk and Bell, it would be an F.

Grade: B-minus

Rushing defense

The 49ers generally did a good job of bottling up Rams running back Kyren Williams, who gained 89 yards on 24 rushing attempts for a 3.7-yard average.

But Williams scored two touchdowns on the ground, including the game-tying 4-yard run with 1:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Grade: C-plus

Passing defense

This unit was a big disappointment for the 49ers. The front four did not generate enough pressure on quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Rams did not have their top receivers, Nacua and Kupp, but Stafford still completed 16 of 25 pass attempts for 221 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

Tutu Atwell had four catches for 93 yards, and also drew a 48-yard pass interference penalty against Isaac Yiadom.

Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell had a 25-yard penalty for pass interference that helped the Rams get into position for the game-winning field goal.

Grade: F

Special teams

Special teams were a disaster for the second game in a row for the 49ers.

The 49ers allowed a first down in the second quarter when Ronnie Rivers took the direct snap and gained 7 yards on a fourth-and-6 play. That play enabled the Rams to stick around.

Kicker Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt that could have clinched the win late in the fourth quarter. Then, a breakdown on the punt coverage team opened the door for the Rams to score the winning points.

Grade: F

Coaching

The 49ers should have been prepared for the fake punt in the second quarter. That caught them by surprise — or, at least, it appeared as if it did.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, special-teams coordinator Brian Schneider and defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen have to shoulder their share of the blame for this one.

There is no way the 49ers should have allowed the Rams to stick around. No way.

The 49ers had plenty of physical errors, but they also had at least as many mental issues to enable the Rams to come all the way back for the win.

Even without Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, the 49ers have too much talent to allow this Rams team to beat them.

Grade: F

Overall

This is about as bad as it gets.

There was never a point in this game in which it looked as if the 49ers were in danger of losing this game. And that might have been what they were thinking, too.

When they had the opportunity to pull away, they backed off.

The 49ers did not make all of the same mistakes of their Week 2 meltdown against the Minnesota Vikings. But the games were similar enough to be a cause for concern.

Again, this was a well-deserved loss with plenty of blame to go around.

Grade: F

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