The San Francisco 49ers suffered a potentially pivotal defeat on Sunday, falling 42-26 to the Los Angeles Rams in a game that could have reshaped the NFC West standings. Instead, the loss left San Francisco searching for answers as it looks to keep pace with the division-leading Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
After defeating the Rams earlier this season in Week 5, the 49ers looked to repeat that success at Levi's Stadium. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad was outplayed on both sides of the ball, marking the team's fourth loss of the season.
So what was Shanahan's message to his players after the game?
"I just told them, 'Guys, it wasn't good enough,'" Shanahan said.
Despite the lopsided final score, Shanahan doesn't believe the game was as one-sided as it appeared. The 49ers had chances to close the gap, cutting the deficit to one score multiple times after falling behind early.
"As bad as it was at times, I still believe if we convert that 4th-and-1 in the first half, and we don't turn it over on the other drive, it's a two-score game, and I believe we're right in that," Shanahan explained. "I believe it could have came down the end if we played a little bit better on offense in the first half."
Still, the offense wasn't the only issue. The 49ers' defense struggled to slow down Matthew Stafford and the Rams' high-powered attack, which moved the ball efficiently throughout the game. Costly mistakes compounded the problem—including a failed fourth-down conversion and a lost fumble by wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
Penalties were another major factor.
"Obviously, the D's got to get a stop there in the second half," Shanahan said. "But I still think we could have made that a game. I told them I believe that we can find a way to win any game that we're in, but if we hurt ourselves like that, seven penalties to zero, not getting off on third down, I think they were five-of-five in the red zone, and then the offense having two turnovers and they're having zero, you make that pretty tough on yourself."
After starting the season 3-0, the 49ers have now lost four of their last seven games, falling to 6-4 on the year. Running back Christian McCaffrey addressed the team after the game, emphasizing that their post-loss intensity shouldn't be the standard for their effort.
"There's something about having your back against the wall, and something about having a chip on your shoulder," McCaffrey told reporters.
While wide receiver Kendrick Bourne believes the 49ers will respond well after this latest loss, he agrees that the sense of urgency can't only come after a defeat.
"We just got to respond better after wins," Bourne said. "I think that's what we're learning. I feel like we get too relaxed a little bit after we win. We kind of smell your own junk a little bit, so it's tough. We can't really be like that, and I think that's something that we're learning."
McCaffrey is proud of the 49ers' ability to fight through an injury-plagued season.
"When you look at just the trajectory of this year, and the adversity that we've faced, I'm proud of our guys' effort and our resilience and the character in those rooms," McCaffrey said. "It's tough losing the guys that we have, but we never believe we're out of the fight, and we never will. And so, I'm proud of our guys in that way. So I think, after losses, we're reminded that we've gotta get our stuff together."
Shanahan acknowledged that injuries have played a significant role in the 49ers' uneven 2025 campaign. Still, he expects more from his group moving forward, and more than they showed against the Rams.
"I know we can do better than what we did today, though, and I believe the offense can do better than what they did today," Shanahan said.