49ers players lament not ‘finishing’ winnable game vs. Rams

49ers players lament not ‘finishing’ winnable game vs. Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

INGLEWOOD — The 49ers didn’t keep their foot on the pedal and ended up with a surprising and disappointing 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and San Francisco’s defense didn’t allow 100 yards on the ground, but they did let LA quarterback Matthew Stafford complete 16 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. Explosive plays kept the Rams in the game, eventually allowing them to earn their first win of the 2024 NFL season.

“Ideally you don’t want that lesson,” Warner said after the game. “You feel like you got the right guys in the room. You got enough veteran leadership to understand the situations and knowing when to put them away.”

The 49ers appeared to have the Rams right where they wanted them, with LA facing a 14-point deficit after the first quarter. Deommodore Lenoir and the secondary shut down Stafford and Co. until the middle of the second quarter, when the Rams put together a 16-play, 98-yard scoring drive to close the gap.

“This loss came from being too complacent,” Lenoir said after the game. “We should have put them away. We gave them hope and they were able to come back and win. I think this has got a lot to do with finishing. We didn’t get the job done and really finish in the game, and that’s why we got the L.”

Mistakes in all three phases contributed to the 49ers’ collapse in a game that was in hand for nearly the entire time. The Rams did not take the lead until two seconds remained on the game clock, but those obviously are the most important seconds to have it.

Even rookie guard Dominick Puni reiterated the lack of follow-through from the team as a whole. There were many mistakes across the board, and the Kansas product emphasized the 49ers lost as a team, just as they have won.

“Just got to capitalize on every chance we have to win a game and put a team away,” Puni said. “It’s just frustrating because things can just stack on one another and give a team momentum. They got a hell of a quarterback, and he made some plays. That’s basically how it went.”

The 49ers have quite a few mistakes to clean up as they turn the page and prepare for the New England Patriots in their Week 4 contest at Levi’s Stadium.

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