Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports


Rapid Reaction to the 49ers’ 23-20 win over the Rams

Matt Andruscavage
Nov 29, 2020 at 5:11 PM


1) Great defensive effort


Up until Aaron Donald changed the game, the Niner defense completely stifled the Rams. Kerry Hyder provided edge pressure, the defensive backs made plays and prevented big ones, and Javon Kinlaw scored on an interception return.

Jared Goff was completely off-balance and the Rams had no ground game to speak of. Despite the offense giving the ball back twice to the Rams in the first half after the defense forced a turnover, Robert Saleh's unit never wavered and kept pounding.

In the second half, it was more of the same as the Rams could not score more than 2 field goals until Raheem Mostert fumbled late in the third quarter, resulting in a Rams' touchdown to cut the lead to 17-13.

After the 49ers were able to tie the game at 20, it was the defense again which came up with a big stop and gave the offense a chance. The entire defense deserves a game ball.

2) Deebo Samuel makes this offense so much better


There were not a ton of big plays for the San Francisco offense today, but of the handful that there were, most were by Deebo Samuel.

Samuel finished with 11 catches for 133 yards and so much of that yardage was after the catch. He finishes plays better than anyone in the league and was the spark on the final drive. His 24-yard catch and run on 3rd down was the big play that set up the field goal. He would have another two catches on that drive as the team set up Robbie Gould for the game winner. It was great to have Deebo back in the lineup. Next week, we will get to see Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel together.

3) Nick Mullens


While Mullens struggled today, he was also able to do just enough to get the win. Hopefully he will play better next week, but despite missed throws, he hung in there and led the 49ers to a win.

4) The offensive line


It was a rough outing for the offensive line, most notably, Mike McGlinchey. If the 49ers are going to mount any kind of run to the Wild Card, the offensive line has to do a better job.

It doesn't get much easier next week with the Bills coming to town. Hopefully Ben Garland will be back.

Extra Points


- Jimmie Ward was outstanding today with two forced fumbles, five tackles and one pass defensed. He played well all day. Hopefully, this continues.

- Javon Kinlaw had a monster pick six. It has been great to see him continue to improve each week. He is turning into a terrific pick, despite some writing him off before he ever played a down.

- Raheem Mostert did not have a great day. In fact, his fumble completely changed the game. Despite that, his presence gives the 49ers a legit run threat and he opens up the play action. He did score and had a number of good runs, including a 4-yarder which set up Gould for the winner.

- Kyle Juszczyk and Richie James each came up with big plays. Hopefully, they both will be utilized more in the passing game.

- Richard Sherman is back and had a nice interception. This secondary is deep and is now much better with him out there.

This was a great team win and it showcased the grit and heart of this team. Next up are the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers are only a game out of the final Wild Card spot and more guys are coming back from injury. Stay tuned!
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


0 Comments

  • No Comments

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24

Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency. The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below. ?feature=share You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our



No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Free Agency Review

By Site Staff
Mar 17

(Episode 222) - Al Sacco and Zain Naqvi discuss Sam Darnold's best case scenario, some of the smaller names that joined the 49ers defense, how important bolstering the offensive line is, grading the current free agent class and more! The audio for the show is embedded above. Don't forget to subscribe! You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on



Three 49ers rank in NFL's top 25 performance-based payouts

By David Bonilla
Mar 17

Three San Francisco 49ers players are receiving a nice little bonus for their on-field efforts during the 2022 NFL season. Safeties Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga, and center Jake Brendel are among the NFL's top 25 performance-based pay distributions for this past season. The NFL Communications staff released the list on Friday morning. Gipson will receive a $708,106 bonus. The safety recently re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal. Hufanga will receive $703,926, and Brendel earns $643,691. NFL players will receive $336 million in performance-based pay. The performance-based pay program is a collectively bargained benefit that compensates all players based on their playing time and salary levels. The program was first implemented as part of the 2002



Javon Hargrave loved "everything but the taxes" in deal to join 49ers

By David Bonilla
Mar 17

After a very productive season with the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave earned a big payday with the San Francisco 49ers, signing a four-year deal worth up to $84 million. That is life-changing money for the 30-year-old. Hargrave joined KNBR on Friday to discuss the move from Philly to the Bay Area. "I was talking to them before I even signed, and one thing I even told him, even the players that had [contacted] me was just it ain't really too much convincing you all can do," Hargrave said. "You ain't really got to convince me. I guess they thought I was playing at the time, but it ain't really hard to convince when you go into a team that's built on winning, and one, they trying to come pay me big money." Going from one stacked


Featured

More by Matt Andruscavage

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone