The 49ers on Saturday snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a 34-31 win over the Rams.
While earning a win to move to 12-3 and set up a Week 17 winner-take-all showdown for the NFC West with the Seahawks is nice, there were some big-picture things to take from Saturday night’s contest.
Here are seven takeaways from the 49ers’ victory:
Jimmy Garoppolo: Clutch
The 49ers needed a huge fourth quarter from their quarterback after they stumbled through most of Saturday night. They got one. Garoppolo was magnificent in the fourth, completing six-of-nine throws for 134 yards and a touchdown. The two keys were a pair of third-and-16 completions, including a 46-yard bomb to Emmanuel Sanders that put them in position to kick the game-winning field goal.
Rough go for Witherspoon
Perhaps the lack of a pass rush is forcing the 49ers defensive backs to adjust, but Witherspoon was not good Sunday night. He allowed a pair of long receptions on one drive, including a 22-yarder to Cooper Kupp for a third-quarter touchdown that put LA up 28-24. That touchdown was set up on a third-and-5 throw for 29 yards to Robert Woods. Witherspoon was in coverage on that too. He also got caught on the Rams’ first touchdown and arrived a step late, allowing Brandin Cooks to snag a game-opening touchdown. Witherspoon has been excellent most of the year, but he was not very good Saturday night.
Garoppolo’s turnover issues
Garoppolo, for as good as he was late, made some dreadful decisions earlier in the contest that led to a pair of interceptions. Even going back to the Falcons game he’s throwing more often into traffic and is missing the target in a way that allows defenders to get hands on the football. The 49ers overcame his two interceptions Saturday thanks in part to Fred Warner’s pick-6 at the end of the first half, but he has to clean that up going into the postseason.
Arik Armstead should’ve been in the Pro Bowl
It was apparent before Saturday, but Armstead was excellent against the Rams. He didn’t rack up any sacks, but he spent a lot of time in the Rams’ backfield, broke up a pass, and helped offset some of the things they were doing in the screen game to gash the 49ers’ defense. Armstead only finished with four tackles on the stat sheet, but his night was more impactful than that. He should’ve been more than a Pro Bowl alternate.
The Emmanuel Sanders effect
The 49ers offense was stagnant when they took over with just over two minutes left to go in the fourth. San Francisco thrives when he produces, and prior to his 46-yard reception to set up the game-winning field goal, he had just two catches for 15 yards. Still, Garoppolo looked to the veteran when he needed a big play, and he fired a bomb to Sanders the same way he did against the Saints when the two connected for a 75-yard touchdown. Sanders wasn’t consistently productive Saturday night, but he came up with a huge catch when it counted most, and that’s indicative of his importance to the offense.
Offensive line officially a problem
There’s not a lot of ways around this. San Francisco’s offense consisted almost entirely of screens and misdirection stuff through the second quarter because they needed to mitigate a relentless Rams pass rush. They finished the night with six sacks, and a slew of other instances where Garoppolo was hit as he threw or had to get rid of a throw early because of the pressure around him. The offensive front hasn’t been good in the two games since Weston Richburg went out. They’ll have to be better if San Francisco is going to make a playoff run.
Dee. Bo.
Samuel is really coming into his own as an NFL receiver. This has more to do with the big picture than Saturday night, but Samuel’s versatility really shined against the Rams. He had four catches for 31 yards, and three carries for 28 yards with a touchdown. He even took a direct handoff after he lined up as a running back behind Garoppolo. Samuel this season now has 52 catches for 700 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 11 rushes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He was a versatile weapon in college, and that multifaceted skill set is showing in the pros.
