Immediate reaction to the 49ers’ 21-20 loss to the Rams.

Immediate reaction to the 49ers’ 21-20 loss to the Rams.

The San Francisco 49ers finished their regular season 12-5 after losing to the Los Angeles Rams 21-20 in a meaningless Week 18 sweep that set up the playoffs.San Francisco played most of its starters to start the game, but pulled Trent Williams after the series, while the rest of the active players played almost the entire first half.The top unit gave the 49ers a 20-7 halftime lead, but the 49ers didn’t score the rest of the way and lost 21-20.After the game, 49ers analyst Rohan Chakravarthi shared his immediate reaction to the team’s 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and highlighted the team’s key accomplishments going forward..

 

Offense

Sam Darnold played very well in the first half, completing all five of the 49ers’ opening drives and leading to all four of San Francisco’s field goals in the first 30 minutes.The 49ers could have finished with 24 points in the first half, but kicker Jake Moody missed an extra point and a 38-yard field goal to cap the scoring.

With second-half safeties, Sam Darnold and Co. struggled to get the ball, rushing on three straight possessions before the quarterback had a costly fumble on the final drive of the game that sealed the deal for the Rams.

In addition to his success, Darnold played quite well under the circumstances and was frustrated on several occasions when his passes fell..

 

Defense

 

With the defense working most of the first half, the 49ers managed just seven points, which came off a nice throw from Carson Wentz to Puka Nacua, who hit Charvarius Ward.

Additionally, the 49ers forced an interception when Tayler Hawkins caught a tipped pass and forced a punt near midfield.But in the second half, with San Francisco pinned, the Rams started moving the ball with a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive before turning it over for another touchdown on downs in 49ers territory on the next ride.

Those two field goals gave Los Angeles the lead with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Rams held on for their first regular-season win over the 49ers since 2018..