49ers grades for lackluster offensive, defensive performance in loss to Rams

The 49ers’ one-down, one-up stretch continued with another dip in production.

The Los Angeles Rams jumped on the 49ers quickly on Sunday, and kept San Francisco at arm’s length for the remainder of the day in the 42-26 win at Levi’s Stadium.

Quarterback George Kittle had strong games, but the highlights were few and far between from the rest of the 49ers, who now are in third place in the NFC West with a 6-4 record.

Here is the report card from the 49ers’ Week 10 loss to the Rams (7-2):

Rushing offense

The 49ers struggled running the ball against the Rams. Christian McCaffrey had a difficult time finding much room to run. He was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 from the Rams’ 11-yard line in the second quarter, and that play turned the momentum in L.A.’s favor.

McCaffrey managed only 30 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

Brian Robinson Jr. provided the offense with a little spark during one third-quarter drive when he rushed for 24 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown run, on five carries. He had a team-high 41 yards on eight carries.

Grade: C-minus

Passing offense

The offensive line did a fine job of keeping Jones clean in the pocket. And Jones delivered with his decision-making and accuracy.

Jauan Jennings had a touchdown reception in the game, but he got off to a rocky start with a dropped pass, a false start and a lost fumble. He ended up with six catches for 71 yards.

"You won't see another fumble, how about that?"

Jauan Jennings offers a strong assurance after his turnover today 😳

Luke Farrell also caught a TD pass.

Grade: B

Rushing defense

The 49ers got pushed around up front, and Rams running back Kyren Williams found plenty of room to run, rushing for 73 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Linebacker Malik Mustapha added eight apiece. But nobody on defense had a good game, as there were too many bad angles and missed tackles.

Grade: D

Passing defense

The 49ers could not get much going with their pass rush, and the secondary had a difficult time slowing down Matthew Stafford and Co.

Keion White split a sack against Stafford in the first half, but the 49ers did little to upset the timing of the Rams’ passing game.

The defensive backfield did not tighten up its coverage, and the Rams’ passing game had its way.

Grade: D-minus

Special teams

Skyy Moore helped jump-start the 49ers with a 27-yard punt return in the second quarter. San Francisco parlayed that good field position into its first touchdown of the game.

Jared Verse blasted through Eddy Piñeiro’s extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter. 

Grade: C-minus

Coaching

The 49ers had a good plan to slow down the Rams’ pass rush. Coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a lot of quick-hitting passes to enable Jones to quickly get rid of the ball. San Francisco mixed up pretty well on offense.

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had a difficult time finding the right combinations because the team’s four-man pass rush is virtually non-existent. The Rams mixed their personnel and caught the 49ers in a bunch of bad matchups.

Grade: C-minus

Overall

The 49ers converted just three of eight third-down opportunities, while the Rams capitalized on five of their nine third downs.

The 49ers were penalized seven times for 45 yards, while the Rams had no penalty yardage.

The 49ers had two giveaways while failing to generate any takeaways. One of their best games was required to win this game, and it was nowhere near their best game.

Grade: D-plus

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