2024 Week 15: Rams 12, 49ers 6

The rain affected everything in this game and both defenses took advantage of the conditions and stacked the line to sell out against the run, assuming it would be difficult to throw the ball, and their gambles were right. San Francisco fans are probably calling for Brock Purdy’s head on a pike because it happens after every loss, but he’s the best QB from the 2022 and likely the 2023 draft, so he’s going to get PAID this offseason.

The Rams improve to (8-6) and have about as equal of a chance of winning the NFC West as the Seahawks (8-6) do. These two teams face off in Week 18 and will likely determine the winner of the division.

San Francisco’s (6-8) playoff hopes are all but dead after this, it would take a miracle for them to find their way in. This a lost season and will require a lot of rebuilding, I suspect Deebo Samuel will get traded away after this lackluster season, he is one of the main reasons they lost, I’ll get into it later on.

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QB Report:
- As I had mentioned earlier, the rain dampened (pun intended) the passing game so much that I wasn’t sure the QBs were going to reach 100 yards between both of them. The NFL is weird where after last week's blowout victory, everyone loved Brock Purdy (14/31 for 142 yards, 1 INT), but after a loss, they all hate him and will be mocking QBs in the draft or via trade this week, until they win again and everything is okay again.

RB Report:
- Isaac Guerendo (16-57-0; 4 catches for 18 yards) had a quick turnaround and was hurt last week but he managed to get healthy enough to start, and he played pretty well given the circumstances. There wasn’t much running room to be had with the conditions and stacked box because of the weather, I don’t hold this against him at all, he’s still starting for me going forward.

WR Report:

- Deebo Samuel’s (3-16-0/7; 2 rushes for 3 yards) days are numbered in San Francisco. He didn’t show up in the playoffs last year and hasn’t shown up this year either. Deebo was the best player for the Rams in this game and he plays for the 49ers. Leading up to this game Deebo was talking a lot about how the team doesn’t get him the ball and how there’s nothing wrong with him, and in classic NFL fashion, the first throw of the game was designed to go his way… to shut him up.

- Deebo wound up being a featured part of this offense and his stats from this game speak for themselves, he was lousy and potentially cost San Fran the game. He dropped an NFL-wide-open slant that would have been a touchdown but instead, it hit his hands and then fell to the ground. I’m no expert but I’d say there is something “wrong” with Deebo.

- Just like I’m not holding anything against Guerendo, I’m not against Jauan Jennings (2-31-0/9) either. Jennings had the most targets in the game, even more evidence of their connection that I’ve been harping on for weeks now. When everyone pursues Ricky Pearsall (1-16-0/4) in fantasy drafts next year, I’ll be pursuing Jauan Jennings.

- Another WR that didn’t show up, Cooper Kupp (0-0-0/3). I didn’t mean for that to rhyme. Kupp didn’t really have any issues, he was just affected more by the weather/game plan adjustments. Puka Nacua (7-97-0/8) is the ‘new’ Kupp so he was getting the majority of the targets.

D/ST Report:
- This was the debut of SF ILB Dre Greenlaw (8 tackles) after he tore his ACL running off the field in the Super Bowl. Greenlaw looked great in the first half, flying around the field and making plays, he was spectacular. Greenlaw might be the second-best player on the Niners after LT Trent Williams. The comeback story takes a turn for the worse, as early in the third quarter Greenlaw pulled himself out of the game citing tightness in his leg, the same ACL tear leg, and sat out for the rest of the game. When Greenlaw left another player decided to sit out, former first-team All-Pro LB De’Vondre Campbell was called on to fill in for Greenlaw and instead of playing walked into the locker room and was promptly released by the team the next morning.

- All of this to say, the turning point in the game was Greenlaw reaggravating his injury and leaving the game. Once this happened LAR outscored SF 9-0 to get the win.

image source: (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)