What we learned as 49ers waste Jennings’ career game in loss to Rams

What we learned as 49ers waste Jennings’ career game in loss to Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

INGLEWOOD — The 49ers got off to a hot start and had a number of opportunities to pull away.

But the 49ers flubbed it with an abundance of special-teams miscues, dropped passes and defensive breakdowns.

Just how good are the 49ers?

Not very good at all, it seems.

At least, based on their disastrous and embarrassing 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the 49ers have a lot of work ahead of them.

The 49ers had every chance to put this game away early.

But they showed zero killer instinct and shrunk under pressure against the previously winless Rams.

The 49ers simply blew it. It’s as simple as that.

Here are the takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 3 collapse:

Wilting Under Pressure

Two players from the 49ers’ 2023 NFL Draft class had a chance to be the hero.

But Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal that would have clinched the game. And after the Rams tied it, wide receiver Ronnie Bell flat-out dropped a pass deep down the field that would have set up Moody for another chance.

It was a day of dropped passes and special-teams meltdowns for the 49ers.

The Rams exploited the 49ers’ shoddy special teams with a fake punt in the second quarter. The 49ers were up 14-0 at the time, and the Rams’ fourth-down conversion opened the door for their first touchdown of the game.

Moody’s missed field goal prevented the 49ers from taking a 10-point lead late in the game. After the Rams went down the field for the tying touchdown, the 49ers’ offense stalled on Bell’s dropped pass.

Then, Rams rookie return man Xavier Smith had a 37-yard punt return to set up the winning field goal.

Purdy Seeks Jennings To Pick Up Slack

In getting off to a strong start on Sunday, the 49ers relied on a receiver who signed a multi-year contract extension in the offseason.

It was not Brandon Aiyuk. It was Jauan Jennings.

Jennings had a career day, catching 11 passes for career-highs of 175 yards and three touchdowns.

Quarterback Brock Purdy had a huge game without Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle available.

Purdy completed 22 of 30 passes for 292 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating was 137.1.

Purdy also gained 41 yards rushing on 10 rushing attempts.

While all the attention in the offseason was on Aiyuk’s stormy contract situation, Jennings signed a two-year, $15.3 million contract as a restricted free agent.

Aiyuk could not hold onto a couple catchable passes in the first half. He let one get away that would have been a third-down conversion in Rams territory. He caught five passes for 48 yards in the game.

Pass Rush And Pass Coverage Lacking

The Rams did not have their top two receivers with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua out with injuries.

It did not seem to matter for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who tore up the 49ers’ defense at key times. Stafford completed 16 of 25 pass attempts for 221 yards with one touchdown.

Tutu Atwell caught four passes for 93 yards. His 50-yarder set up the Rams’ tying touchdown.

With the score tied, the 49ers were called for three penalties on the same play. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was called for defensive holding and illegal use of hands.

But it was De’Vondre Campbell’s pass interference penalty that accounted for 25 yards to set up Joshua Karty’s game-winning 37-yard field goal.

It was clear who the Rams targeted for most of the game, as Stafford had success going after cornerback Isaac Yiadom in nickel situations.

Yiadom gave up some competitions and was called for a pass-interference penalty in coverage against Atwell for a 48-yard penalty in the third quarter.

That play led to a Rams touchdown that cut the 49ers’ lead to 21-14 late in the third quarter.