Studs and Duds from 49ers’ tough 30-23 divisional win vs. Rams in Week 2
The San Francisco 49ers’ 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 on Sunday proved that divisional games are never easy. After cruising to an easy victory in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Rams provided a true test for the 49ers.
Through two quarters, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford dueled with Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy. Stafford showed rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua was worthy of the hype as the Rams went into halftime with a tie ballgame at 17 against the heavily favored 49ers.
Yet, with some halftime adjustments and clutch plays on defense, the 49ers were able to take control down the stretch against the Rams on the way to a 30-23 victory in Hollywood.
Before the 2-0 49ers start preparing for the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, here’s a look at some studs and duds from San Francisco’s performance on Sunday afternoon against the Rams.
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Dud: Brock Purdy
Okay, it’s completely harsh and not anywhere near accurate to list Brock Purdy as a dud. Purdy did everything the 49ers needed to lead them to another win on Sunday, and you could easily make the argument Purdy deserves to be listed as a stud.
The second-year passer threw for 206 yards on 17-of-25 passing with a rushing touchdown and zero interceptions. However, Purdy left a few throws on the field that are worthy of mentioning and we’re being picky.
Purdy had multiple chances to hit wide receivers down the field and missed. The quarterback missed a would-be touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. Purdy also missed Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings.
While Purdy’s misses didn’t slow the 49ers down from scoring 30 points on Sunday, similar misses in a tighter game against a more formidable opponent could haunt the 49ers. While a single miss is tolerable, multiple misses is something to keep an eye on.
Stud: Interior Offensive Line
The trio of interior offensive linemen for the 49ers deserve a lot of credit. While keeping Brock Purdy upright and paving the way for another big rushing day on the ground for Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers’ interior offensive line kept Aaron Donald quiet on the way to their 30-23 win over the Rams.
Jake Brendel, Spencer Buford and Aaron Banks didn’t let Donald record a sack or any tackles. The All-Pro defensive lineman only registered one hurry. Limiting a player of Donald’s caliber to a quiet afternoon is well-worthy of a spot on the stud list for Week 2.
Stud: Steve Wilks
In the first half, the Rams were able to move the ball up and down the field on their way to 17 points. For the first time in a long time, the 49ers’ defense looked leaky.
However, new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks went to work at halftime and made adjustments that resulted in two interceptions and only six points scored in the second half.
Isaiah Oliver and Deommodore Lenoir’s interceptions came at the right moment for the 49ers with each turnover resulting in pivotal points.
Stud: Kyle Shanahan
With the 49ers trailing by seven points in the final seconds of the first half, Kyle Shanahan was forced to make a decision on the goal line. He could either line up Jake Moody for a chip shot field goal and go into the locker room down four points, or send his offense back onto the field with only two seconds on the clock.
Shanahan opted for the latter and it paid off. Behind a gutsy call from Shanahan, Purdy punched in a short touchdown run as time expired in the first half.
Instead of playing it safe on the road against a divisional opponent, Shanahan trusted his young quarterback to make a play. With Purdy’s touchdown, the 49ers and Rams went into halftime tied at 17.
After halftime, the 49ers ripped off 13 unanswered points to take a commanding 10-point lead into the final minutes of the contest.
Stud: Jake Moody
Jake Moody accounted for 12 points on Sunday, knocking down three field goals and three extra points for a perfect day. The rookie kicker was consistent and accountable for the 49ers against the Rams.
Shanahan had no problems sending Moody out for a long-distance try from 57 yards. Moody’s kick from 57 was the fifth longest field goal of the season young season. Moody is one of three kicks to drill a kick from 57 or more yards this season.
Moody’s 57-yarder was the longest kick from a 49ers’ rookie kicker in franchise history.
After a shakey preseason, Moody is quickly proving why the 49ers drafted the former Michigan All-American in the third round.
Dud: 49ers Pass Rush
Despite two interceptions, Matthew Stafford looked fairly comfortable against the 49ers’ defense on Sunday. While the 49ers’ secondary came through clutch against Stafford and the Rams, Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson and the defensive line didn’t generate much pressure in Week 2.
Jackson, coming off a three-sack performance in Week 1 against the Steelers was limited to one tackle. Bosa added two tackles and threw quarterback hits. After notching 18.5 sacks in 2022, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has yet to record a sack through two games this season.
Stud: Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel turned in a vintage performance during the 49ers’ win in Week 2 over the Rams.
On his way to a 100-all-purpose yard effort, Samuel was a catalyst on offense, catching six passes for 63 yards. Samuel added five carries for 38 yards on the ground to go along with a rushing touchdown.
Prior to his score, Samuel shed multiple defenders forcing broken tackle after broken tackle.
