49ers fall to Rams in a game filled with backups
49ers backup quarterback (14) Sam Darnold rolls out in the second quarter while being pursued by the Los Angeles Rams’ Kobie Turner at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2024.01.07 – In a game neither playoff-bound team was fully committed to winning, the San Francisco 49ers fell to the Los Angeles Rams 21-20 in the regular-season finale at Levi’s Stadium despite a strong performance by backup quarterback Sam Darnold.
The game had little meaning with the 49ers (12-5) having clinched the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. The Rams clinching a playoff spot last week as well.
That led both teams to sit several starters, including both quarterbacks, with Brock Purdy getting the day off for San Francisco.
“We both knew what this game was for both of us,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We both wanted to win but first thing was trying to keep our players safe.”
That provided an opportunity for former top-three picks Carson Wentz and Darnold to get their first starts of the season.
Darnold went 16 for 26 for 189 yards with a TD run and a TD pass to Ronnie Bell. He led the Niners to three TD drives in the first half before San Francisco’s offense stalled without any starters.
“It was really good to just get out there and play an entire football game,” Darnold said. “Obviously the result wasn’t what we wanted but it was good to get out there and get good quality reps.”
San Francisco suffered some clear kicking woes with rookie Jake Moody missing a 38-yard field goal for his first miss of any kind since Week 7. Moody then missed his first extra point after 60 straight makes late in the first half.
2024.01.07 (SF 49ers vs. LA Rams) Game Highlights
49ers backup quarterback (14) Sam Darnold (14) celebrates his touchdown in the first half of a game against the Rams at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle
2024.01.07 (SF 49ers vs. LA Rams) Game (FL-Highlights)
2024.01.08 – 49ers vs. Rams (49ers Wake Up with Bruce & Krueger)
2024.01.08 – 49ers vs. Rams (49ers Wake Up with Bruce & Krueger)
Rams backup quarterback Wentz did his job filling in for Matthew Stafford, and now Stafford gets the chance for a highly anticipated playoff match-up against his former team.
Wentz threw one of his two touchdown passes to record-setting Puka Nacua and ran for a score to lead the Rams to victory in a game filled with backups.
Los Angeles (10-7) clinched the sixth seed in the NFC and a trip to Detroit in the wild-card round next Sunday night, a game that will feature Stafford in the first playoff game hosted by Detroit in 30 years against the Lions team that drafted him first overall in 2009.
Stafford was dealt to Los Angeles before the 2021 season in a deal that sent Rams’ former No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff to the Lions. The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl that season, while the Lions have turned into a winning team thanks in part to Goff.
“Exciting for this team just to get back to where we are right now, to be honest with you,” Stafford said. “The opportunity happens to be in Detroit, which is fun for me on a personal level.”
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (NBC Sports-Post Game)
49ers defensive lineman (99) Javon Kinlaw sacks Rams quarterback Carson Wentz in the first half Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (NBC Sports-Post Game)
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (NBC Sports-Post Game)
Wentz helped make it happen when he scored on a 12-yard run with 4:56 to play and then converted a 2-point conversion pass to Tutu Atwell to put the Rams ahead 21-20.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Wentz, who signed with the Rams in November and had handed the ball off on his only three snaps before Sunday. “It’s been over a year for me since I got game action and it’s been a weird obviously year and season for me. But I had a lot of fun out there. It was fun to get the win.”
The biggest drama might have been Nacua’s chase of the rookie records for catches and yards receiving. Nacua caught a 19-yard TD pass from Wentz in the first quarter to tie Bill Groman’s record of 1,473 yards that had stood since 1960.
He then broke the mark with a 7-yard catch on the opening drive of the third quarter. Nacua stayed in the game for one more play and caught a 6-yard pass to give him 105 catches — one more than the record set by Miami’s Jaylen Waddle in 2021.
Nacua’s day was done and he went to the sideline to get a hug from his mother.
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (Damon Bruce – Post Game)
49ers defensive back (41) Tayler Hawkins celebrates his second-quarter interception against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (Damon Bruce – Post Game)
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (Damon Bruce – Post Game)
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (Krueger & Crew-Post Game)
2024.01.07 – 49ers vs. Rams (Krueger & Crew-Post Game)
The Rams scored on a TD pass from Wentz to Tyler Johnson. Brett Maher missed the extra point as Los Angeles’ kicking woes continued.
The Rams have missed a league-high 16 combined extra points and field goals this season. They waived Lucas Havrisik after he missed two extra points last week and brought back Maher, who missed six FGs and one PAT in seven games earlier this season. That didn’t seem to help the cause.
INJURIES
Rams: S Jordan Fuller (ankle) and LB Troy Reeder (knee) left the game in the first half and didn’t return.
49ers: DE Clelin Ferrell left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and didn’t return. It is not believed to be a serious injury but Shanahan was unsure of whether he would miss any time. … The Niners had several injured players inactive and also didn’t play TE George Kittle (back spasms) and LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles tendinitis) despite having them on the game-day roster.
UP NEXT
Rams: At Detroit on Sunday night, the fifth of six wild-card weekend games.
49ers: First-round bye and then a divisional-round game at home on Jan. 20 or 21.
Related: 49ers clinch NFC’s No. 1 seed by beating Commanders
Related: See below – 49ers Mostert Epic Dash to Super Bowl!
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
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