What we learned as 49ers' depleted defense gets diced up in costly loss to Rams

BOX SCOREAt some point, the 49ers’ injury issues were going to catch up to them, and that was the case in their 42-26 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.The Rams scored touchdowns on their first three possessions against the 49ers’ depleted defense, putting San Francisco in an early 21-0 hole it never could climb out of.The loss drops the 49ers to 6-4, while the Rams improve to 7-2. Meanwhile, up north, the Seattle Seahawks routed the Arizona Cardinals 44-22, also moving to 7-2.Down three scores, quarterback Mac Jones finally got the 49ers on the board just before halftime when he hit Jauan Jennings for a 6-yard touchdown.Then the 49ers scored on their opening possession of the third quarter as Brian Robinson Jr. capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.But the Rams answered right back, scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard completion from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Davante Adams.Less than three minutes into the fourth quarter, Jones found a wide-open Luke Farrell for a 9-yard touchdown, cutting the 49ers’ deficit to 28-20 after Eddy Piñeiro‘s extra-point attempt was blocked. Mac shows off some moves and hits Farrell for six &zwj; pic.twitter.com/kzIuVGzbvm — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) November 9, 2025 Again, the Rams had an answer, as running back Kyren Williams’ second rushing touchdown of the game pushed Los Angeles’ lead to 35-20.The Rams sealed the win when Stafford found tight end Colby Parkinson for a 16-yard touchdown to give Los Angeles a 42-20 lead late in the fourth quarter.Tight end George Kittle scored a garbage-time touchdown along the sideline, staying inbounds before reaching the football for the pylon. But it was too little, too late for the 49ers.Jones passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns on 33 of 39 completions, with one interception. Now, the 49ers will spend the week preparing to face the last-place Cardinals in Glendale. The Week 11 matchup could see the return of starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who has missed eight games because of a turf toe injury.Here are Matt Maiocco’s takeaways from the 49ers’ fourth loss of the season.No pressure on StaffordStafford is having the best season of his 17-year NFL career, and he made it look easy on Sunday, as the 49ers were unable to muster a consistent pass rush to make him feel uncomfortable.Stafford led the Rams to touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game for a 21-0 lead. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and finished the game 24 of 36 for 280 passing yards and four touchdowns.Not coincidentally, when the 49ers finally got some pressure on Stafford, the Rams’ offense stalled late in the first half. Keion White and Kalia Davis teamed up for a sack, and the 49ers got heat on Stafford with a blitz to lead to an incomplete pass. Those plays led to the Rams’ first punt of the game.However, the 49ers’ pressures were few and far between. That has been a common problem for San Francisco since Nick Bosa was sidelined in Week 3 of the season with a torn ACL.Jennings’ rough startJennings angled for a lucrative contract extension through training camp, but he settled for the 49ers adding incentives to his deal. He hoped to put together another strong season and cash in during the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.But things have not gone as planned, as Jennings struggled with injuries through the first half of the season. He was not much of a factor through nine games, with just 22 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns entering the game.Jennings got off to a bad start on Sunday. He failed to hold onto a third-down pass from Mac Jones on an opening-drive three-and-out. On the next drive, he had a false start, then lost a fumble after catching a short pass.Jennings needs to produce in a big way down the stretch of the season. After his difficult beginning on Sunday, he made some plays in a bid to get the 49ers back in the game. Down 21-0, Jennings got back on track with a 6-yard touchdown reception. Mac finds Jauan to get the 49ers on the board pic.twitter.com/cfklb6HWRW — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) November 9, 2025 A complement for CMCChristian McCaffrey is one of the top all-around running backs in the game, but there are times when he can’t do it all by himself. The 49ers got some quality contributions from their No. 2 back on Sunday.Robinson got his number called multiple times on the 49ers’ first drive of the second half, and he responded in a big way. Robinson got onto the field to give McCaffrey a breather, and he came through with runs of 5, 6 and 13 yards. McCaffrey had a 13-yard reception, then Robinson got back onto the field to score on a 1-yard run. B Rob makes it a one-score game pic.twitter.com/1iB3e5bs3f — 49ers on NBCS (&commat;NBCS49ers) November 9, 2025 Robinson finished the game with 41 rushing yards on eight carries. He also caught one pass for four yards.Robinson, whom the 49ers acquired in a trade with Washington just before the start of the regular season, appears to be getting more acclimated to the offense and could earn more playing time in the second half of the season.Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

What we learned as 49ers’ depleted defense gets diced up in costly loss to Rams

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