Even in defeat, the Los Angeles Rams inspired some confidence on Sunday. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 30-23, but they kept things close all game long and even led 17-10 at one point in the first half. For a team that came in as 7.5-point underdogs and was counted out by most people, the fact that they kept things competitive against the mighty 49ers is encouraging.
That being said, there are no moral victories in the NFL and the result is the same no matter the score. Here’s what we learned from the Rams’ seven-point loss to the 49ers at home on Sunday.
1
Puka Nacua is the real deal
What more can be said about the Rams’ fifth-round rookie? He was excellent in the opener when he caught 10 passes for 119 yards, but he was even better on Sunday against the 49ers. He caught 15 passes on a mind-blowing 20 targets, picking up a total of 147 yards receiving.
Nacua is the first player in NFL history with 10 catches and 100 yards in each of his first two career games, he owns the league record for the most catches in his first two games (25) and his 15 catches were the most ever by a rookie in one game.
2
Van Jefferson is heading to the bench when Cooper Kupp returns
This was perhaps the worst game of Jefferson’s career. He was targeted four times but only caught one pass for 9 yards. He dropped one throw over the middle on third down and it was Jefferson who Matthew Stafford targeted on his second interception – a route the defender undercut for a pick.
Jefferson now has five catches for 33 yards in the first two games with a long of 10 yards and two drops. When Kupp returns, there’s no way the Rams are pulling Nacua or Tutu Atwell, so it’ll be Van Jefferson heading to the bench (or getting traded).
3
Byron Young is a rising playmaker
Young is off to a solid start in the NFL, putting together another promising performance against the 49ers. He finished the game with five tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits, but he made some plays that didn’t show up on the stat sheet, too.
In the fourth quarter, he did a great job setting the edge on an outside run, allowing his teammates to rally to the football for a stop at the line of scrimmage. He certainly does a better job in that area than Michael Hoecht does, which is encouraging for Los Angeles.
4
Matthew Stafford was nearly perfect, except for one costly throw
Stafford was absolutely dealing in the first 40 minutes of the game, completing 22 of his first 26 passes with one touchdown. Then one of his passes went through Kyren Williams’ hands for an interception, bringing the offense to a screeching halt.
After that, he went just 12-for-29 to end the game. He still played really well, but one throw will haunt him: the interception to Deommodore Lenoir in the fourth quarter. At the time, the Rams were only trailing 27-20, with a chance to tie the game late in the fourth. But this pick set the 49ers up with great field position, and they turned it into a field goal to go up 30-20.
That’s a throw Stafford will want back, proving to be his worst of the day.
5
Kyren Williams can be the Rams’ every-down back
Williams might be smaller than your average running back but he can do everything the Rams need him to. He carried it 14 times for 52 yards and a touchdown, also catching six passes for 48 yards and another score.
Through two games, he has four touchdowns and 152 total yards from scrimmage. He’s also excellent in pass protection, which showed up a few times on Sunday against San Francisco. He may not be a traditional bellcow, but the Rams shouldn’t feel too worried about him being their every-down back. He’s looked significantly better than Cam Akers has in much of his career, so benching Akers looks like the right decision.
6
Run defense remains a big concern
The 49ers only threw for 206 yards but it was the ground game that really hurt the Rams in this one. What looked like a weakness last week against the Seahawks remained a trouble spot for Los Angeles on Sunday against an even better rushing team.
The 49ers ran it 28 times, totaling 159 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey had 116 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts, while Deebo Samuel carried it five times for 38 yards and a touchdown; Brock Purdy added 5 yards and a touchdown, too. The Rams have to be better against the run because right now, that’s their biggest weakness on defense.
