INGLEWOOD – The 49ers did not let it happen and suffered a surprising and disappointing 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and the San Francisco defense failed to allow 100 yards, but allowed LA quarterback Matthew Stafford to complete 16 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. Explosive plays kept the Rams in the game and ultimately allowed them to secure their first win of the 2024 NFL season.
“Ideally, you don’t want to learn that lesson,” Warner said after the game. “You feel like you have the right people in the room. You have enough experienced leaders to understand the situations and know when to take them out.”
The 49ers seemed to have the Rams exactly where they wanted them, as LA trailed by 14 points after the first quarter. Deommodore Lenoir and the secondary kept Stafford and Co. at bay until midway through the second quarter, when the Rams erased the deficit with a 16-play, 98-yard touchdown drive.
“This loss is the result of too much complacency,” Lenoir said after the game. “We should have beaten them. We gave them hope and they were able to come back and win. I think that has a lot to do with the final score. We didn’t do our job and we didn’t really finish the game and that’s why we lost.”
Mistakes in all three phases contributed to the 49ers’ collapse in a game that was decided almost the entire time. The Rams didn’t take the lead until two seconds left, but those are obviously the most important seconds to take the lead.
Even rookie guard Dominick Puni criticized the lack of perseverance of the entire team. Many mistakes were made everywhere and the Kansas player emphasized that the 49ers lost as a team, just as they won.
“We just have to take every opportunity to win a game and knock a team off,” Puni said. “It’s just frustrating because things can just pile up and give a team momentum. They have a damn good quarterback and he made some plays. That’s basically how it went down.”
The 49ers have a number of mistakes to correct before they can turn things around and prepare to face the New England Patriots in Week 4 at Levi’s Stadium.
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