Deebo Samuel has had a really quiet season. He complained this week about not getting the ball on social media.
The San Francisco 49ers clearly made it a degree to focus on him extra, and on one key third down within the second half Thursday evening, Brock Purdy hit him in stride with a go that in all probability ought to have been a landing. In any earlier season of his profession, Samuel would have taken that to the tip zone. We’ve seen it many instances earlier than.
And Samuel dropped Purdy’s good go. Plain and easy. You can’t complain about not getting the ball, then have it bounce off your arms when it comes your manner in a key spot.
If there’s one thing to sum up the 2024 49ers, that play was it. A star participant from the previous, having a surprisingly dangerous season, had the possibility to be the hero. And the ball went proper via his arms.
The 49ers are again to 2 video games underneath .500 after a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, who’re proper within the NFC West with an unsightly however essential 12-6 win. Purdy struggled, and a vital fourth-quarter interception with the 49ers in vary for a protracted discipline purpose virtually ended San Francisco’s probabilities. It in all probability ended their slim probabilities on the playoffs, too.
The Rams had been slightly more durable on Thursday evening. They executed higher. Like the remainder of the 49ers’ misplaced season, when they need to have been competing for a Super Bowl title, they had been a disappointment.
Scoring was onerous to return by
Here had been the outcomes of all of the possessions within the first quarter by each groups: punt, punt, discipline purpose, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt. The one first rate drive and solely factors got here from the 49ers, who led 3-0 after the primary quarter. It was the primary time a Sean McVay crew ever began a recreation with 4 straight drives with no first down, in line with Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast.
In different phrases, it was the kind of Thursday evening recreation viewers complain about once they discuss groups enjoying under their requirements on brief relaxation.
The 49ers’ protection did get off to a very good begin and linebacker Dre Greenlaw helped. Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in a freak damage working onto the sector throughout final season’s Super Bowl, was making his season debut and his presence was felt straight away. Nick Bosa’s return from damage was additionally a key for the 49ers.
The defenses had been enjoying nicely, after which the rain got here. In the second quarter, the downpour began, which made it even more durable on the struggling offenses. The Rams received a drive going close to the tip of the second quarter, principally shifting it on the bottom, and received a discipline purpose to tie it earlier than halftime. There was lower than 200 yards within the first half and extra punts (11) than first downs (9).
Week 15 is begin of the fantasy soccer playoffs for many leagues. Anyone who had any 49ers or Rams offensive gamers within the lineup needed to be horrified by the primary half.
Both groups have a tough time discovering finish zone
In the fourth quarter, Amazon flashed a surprising stat: In 152 conferences between the 49ers and Rams, Thursday evening was the primary time there have been no touchdowns scored via three quarters.
The 49ers ought to have had a landing within the third quarter, however Samuel had a nasty drop over the center on a 3rd down. The Rams lastly received an explosive play to Puka Nacua downfield, however once more they couldn’t punch in a landing. They kicked a discipline purpose to take a 9-6 lead.
The 49ers’ season was on the road. At 6-7 coming in, they in all probability wanted to win out. They hadn’t put collectively one landing drive all evening. But in the event that they needed to remain alive within the playoff hunt, they wanted to determine a manner. The ball was shifting. Then Purdy received impatient, and on second-and-11 he far overthrew a deep ball to Jauan Jennings, and it was picked off by Rams nook Darious Williams with 5:14 to play.
The 49ers received buried after that. The Rams went on a clock-eating drive and inside the two-minute warning the Rams hit an enormous third-down go to tight finish Colby Parkinson when he received a free launch off the road. When the 49ers wanted that cease to maintain any practical hope alive, they couldn’t get it. The Rams kicked a discipline purpose with 18 seconds left.
The 49ers have misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games. It’s a crew that ought to nonetheless be in a Super Bowl window, and that may resume subsequent season. Injuries have actually set San Francisco again. But being 6-8 in mid-December isn’t what the 49ers anticipated. If there was hope at a late-season turnaround, that melted away within the rain on Thursday evening.
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