The San Francisco 49ers dropped their first NFC West matchup of the year, falling 27-14 to the Los Angeles Rams on the road. With the loss, the 49ers head into Week 4 with a 1-2 record and will host the New England Patriots at Levi’s® Stadium next weekend.
Here are five takeaways from the 49ers vs. Rams game:
QB1 Posts His Second 100-Plus Quarterback Rating of the Season
Even with a number of his top weapons sidelined – tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and running back Christian McCaffrey (on Injured Reserve) – San Francisco’s QB1 was able to lead an efficient and productive unit with scoring opportunities in five of its nine drives. Purdy ended the day connecting on 22-of-30 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 137.1. He also made a number of plays on his own, scrambling for 41 yards in this matchup. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings was his favorite target of the day, but he also had five pass-catchers in double-digits and leaned on third-year running back Jordan Mason to lead the way on the ground with 19 carries for 77 yards.
Wide Receiver Jauan Jennings Stuns in LA
Jennings recorded his first-ever three-touchdown performance of his career in Week 3 and a career-high in yards with 11 catches for 175 yards. Jennings has enjoyed some of his most productive outings at SoFi Stadium, most recently catching two touchdown passes in San Francisco’s 27-24 overtime win in the 2021 season finale. That win earned the 49ers their spot in the Wild Card, and the team went on to make an appearance in the 2022 NFC Championship Game. The last 49ers player to record the hat trick was Kittle in Week 5 of the 2023 season versus the Dallas Cowboys.
Sunday marked Jennings first start of the year, and he made the most of his increased workload in Week 3. He contributed two touchdowns in the first quarter and another in the third along with a number of contested catches and critical conversions. Jennings first touchdown was a 13-yard, back of the end zone reception to get the 49ers on the board in the opening drive. His second was a four-yard contested catch also in the back of the end zone, and his third came on a deep shot from Purdy to the left side of the field for the 34-yard touchdown.
The Return of the Tongan Tiger
Safety Talanoa Hufanga completed his comeback from an ACL tear on Sunday afternoon, suiting up and getting the start for the first time since going down in Week 11 of the 2023 season. It’s been a long road to recovery for the fourth-year pro, and he hit the ground running against the Rams, bringing down Los Angeles running back Kyren Williams in the defense’s first snap of the game. Hufanga closed out his first outing back with seven tackles.
The Gravedigger Gets Sack No. 1 of 2024
Defensive lineman Javon Hargrave recorded his first sack of the season, bursting through the gap between Rams offensive lineman Logan Bruss and Alaric Jackson in the second quarter to take down quarterback Matthew Stafford. The play resulted in a loss of nine yards and put Los Angeles in second and long situation they could not overcome. The 49ers defense opened up the game by forcing the Rams in back-to-back punts.
Injuries of the Game
- Linebacker Dee Winters suffered an ankle injury during the Rams second quarter fake punt/fourth down conversion. He was labeled as questionable to return and did not return to game action.
- Left tackle Trent Williams exited the game with less than a minute to play in the first half on account of a cramp. He returned to the lineup in the third quarter.
- Hargrave had a tricep injury late in the game and did not return to action.
