Sunday saw the 49ers play their first divisional game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. The first big test of the year couldn’t have gone better for the Red & Gold. The 49ers out-gained the Rams 331 yards to 157, and held them to 48 yards passing. Outside of the first five minutes of the game, San Francisco controlled the pace the rest of the way.
With the 49ers moving to 5-0, here are the studs and duds from their 20-7 win in Los Angeles:
Stud: DC Robert Saleh
Sunday was the most dominant performance from the defense this season. The Rams’ first drive gashed the 49ers defense with seven plays, all runs, for 56 yards and a touchdown. That would be the longest drive of the game for Los Angeles. Saleh’s defense held the Rams to 0-for-9 on third downs, and 0-for-4 on fourth. They did especially well with Jared Goff, holding the quarterback to 78 yards passing on 24 attempts.
Dud: QB Jimmy Garoppolo
The defense dominated just like they did against the Browns last week. All Garoppolo had to do was play mistake-free football. He didn’t do that against the Rams. His biggest mistake of the game came on a third-and-goal when the game was tied 7-7. Garoppolo tried to hit tight end George Kittle on a fade route, but badly underthrew him to a point where the pass looked like it was intended for Rams CB Marcus Peters, who intercepted the pass. Garoppolo lost a fumble later in the game as well. He finished the game 24-for-33 for 243 yards and one interception.
Stud: George Kittle
Kittle’s status was up in the air with a groin injury entering Sunday. His performance showed the injury wasn’t much of a concern. The tight end finished with eight receptions on eight targets for 103 yards. His biggest play from scrimmage came on a 45-yard catch-and-run out of the backfield where he made multiple Rams defenders miss.
Dud: The run game
The offense as a whole could never get going, and that’s because the run game never got started. Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert combined for 94 yards on 35 carries. If this five-game winning streak has shown anything, it’s that the run game is what makes the offense move. It shortens the game and moves the ball down the field effectively and efficiently when they’re able to break big runs. The longest run of the game for the 49ers was nine yards.
Stud: Dante Pettis
It might not have been the most eye-opening performance from Pettis, but it was his best game of the season. He saw six passes come his way, a season high. He caught three of them for a season-best 45 yards. Pettis also had a nice catch-and-run on a quick out route for 21 yards — his longest play from scrimmage this season. Pettis took a much-needed step forward Sunday as he continues to establish himself in the offense.
Stud: Dee Ford
Like Nick Bosa last week, Dee Ford had his breakout game with the 49ers. The pass rusher had 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble. a tackle for loss, and four tackles — which were more than he had his first four games combined. The 49ers’ defensive line has been the strongest unit on the team through the season, and each week it seems they get stronger with standout games from different players. With their depth and high-end talent starting to play well, it’s hard to find a better defensive front than San Francisco’s.
