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The Rams got off to a blistering start Monday night, but the 49ers defense clamped down on Austin Davis and San Francisco ended up rolling to an easy victory.
The San Francisco 49ers (4-2) went down 14-0 in the first quarter Monday night, but stormed back against the St. Louis Rams (1-4) for a 31-17 win. Things were looking pretty good for the Rams until late in the first half, when Colin Kaepernick connected with Brandon Lloyd for a huge 80-yard touchdown to cut it to 14-10.
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From there it was all 49ers. San Francisco scored 24 unanswered points to put the game out of the reach of a St. Louis offense that finished cold after starting hot.
1) These just aren't the same 49ers, but no one seems to be telling them. Even with a depleted defense and rumors swirling about some alleged locker room turmoil (who doesn't love a good manufactured story line?), San Francisco just keeps rolling along. The 49ers looked out of sync to start, but when they put together bursts of 49er-esque football -- as they did in the second half Monday -- they looked great. Kaepernick led the way, throwing for 343 yards and three touchdowns.
The 49ers are dealing with big-time injuries on both sides of the ball, but they were able to keep pace in the crowded NFC West. For now, that's all that matters.
2) The Rams do still have something in Austin Davis. The third-string quarterback led St. Louis down the field on the team's opening drive and looked impressive for the entire first half. The 49ers made his life miserable in the second half, though, as Davis and the offense couldn't do anything. How bad was it? Davis didn't even complete a fourth-quarter pass until there was 4:19 left and San Francisco had let off the gas.
But the Rams do still have an intriguing quarterback in Davis. It's obvious that he is capable of handling the offense well and can make the big throws. For example, here he is connecting with Lance Kendricks for a touchdown in the first quarter:
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Now, if Davis and the Rams offense can just put together two halves of solid football, they might actually start winning games.
3) The Rams just couldn't get out of their own way. Whether it was the 49ers picking Janoris Jenkins apart or a number of (albeit sometimes questionable) penalties or just generally bad football, St. Louis fell apart after its great start. Once Lloyd streaked down the field for his 80-yard score, the Rams just couldn't figure out how to replicate their success.
It certainly has something to do with overall talent, but the Rams were dominating the 49ers early. They looked capable of hanging with San Francisco, but Lloyd's touchdown really seemed to deflate St. Louis. The defense showed some signs of life by stopping the 49ers on two fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter and the Rams scored a late field goal, but Davis' pick-six in the last possession sealed the loss.
Injuries
49ers
Linebacker Patrick Willis left in the third quarter with a toe injury. Safety Jimmie Ward (quad) and offensive lineman Mike Iupati (head) also left the game. Stevie Johnson (hip) was shaken up while recovering an onside kick in the fourth. So ... want to play for the 49ers? They might have some openings these days. Give their offices a call or something.
