For years, the San Francisco 49ers have hinged their identity on defense. They have been known for a relentless pass rush, suffocating coverage, and physicality that wore opponents down. On Sunday, though, that identity was nowhere to be found. The Los Angeles Rams came into Levi’s Stadium and exposed every crack in a once-formidable unit. The visitors cruised to a 42-26 win that was as lopsided as it was revealing.
Rude awakening
The Rams scored touchdowns on each of their first three possessions. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the 49ers could even settle in. Matthew Stafford threw for four touchdowns and picked apart San Francisco’s patchwork defense with surgical precision. Mac Jones, in relief of the injured Brock Purdy, provided a spark with three touchdown passes of his own. However, it wasn’t nearly enough. A costly fumble, a blocked extra point, and a failed fourth-down conversion killed any hope of a comeback.
The loss dropped the 49ers to 6-4. Sure, their offense continues to find ways to produce. However, the same cannot be said for their defense. Missing stars like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Mykel Williams, San Francisco looked helpless against a Rams offense that dictated the tempo from start to finish. Kyle Shanahan’s team still has the talent to contend. After Sunday’s loss, though, the NFC hierarchy suddenly looks a lot less certain.
Here we'll try to look at why not even Kyle Shanahan's best efforts can patch up 49ers' defensive holes, and Rams loss proves it.
Inability to generate a pass rush
San Francisco’s defense once struck fear into opponents with a front four capable of wrecking entire game plans. Without Bosa and Williams, though, the 49ers simply couldn’t generate consistent pressure.
The numbers tell the story: one sack, zero turnovers, and countless clean pockets for Stafford. He completed completed 28 of 36 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns. The Rams’ offensive line neutralized what was left of the 49ers’ pass rush. This gave Stafford ample time to read through his progressions and exploit mismatches.
It wasn’t just the pass rush that faltered, too. San Francisco struggled mightily to stop the run. They allowed chunk gains up the middle and off-tackle throughout the afternoon. The absence of Warner’s sideline-to-sideline presence left the linebackers exposed. Luke Gifford, pressed into a starting role, was repeatedly targeted. He was just too weak at the point of attack to hold the edge and too slow to cover tight ends in space.
Every time the 49ers seemed to build momentum, Stafford and head coach Sean McVay went right after Gifford. They isolated him in coverage and marched downfield. The lack of adjustments was glaring. It underscored how much this defense misses its cornerstone players.
Collapsing secondary play
If the defensive front was invisible, the secondary wasn’t far behind. The 49ers’ defensive backs were left to fend for themselves, and they failed spectacularly.
Stafford feasted on broken coverage and poor communication. He exploited mismatches at every level. The linebackers and safeties were repeatedly caught out of position, while the cornerbacks struggled to keep up with the Rams’ receivers. Renardo Green was burned on several key plays. Upton Stout’s frequent confusion pre-snap led to blown assignments that kept drives alive.
Even worse, the tackling was abysmal. Linebacker Dee Winters and safety Malik Mustapha each missed open-field tackles that turned short gains into explosive plays. When Chase Lucas and other capable depth players can’t even crack the rotation despite poor performances ahead of them, questions about personnel decisions and internal politics become impossible to ignore.
Injuries piled up and exposed weaknesses
To be fair, no team in the NFL could lose the defensive trio of Bosa, Warner, and Williams without consequences. Bosa’s ACL tear and Williams’ knee injury robbed the 49ers of their edge-rushing ferocity. Meanwhile, Warner’s absence left the middle of the defense rudderless. Shanahan’s staff has done an admirable job in past years masking injuries. This time, however, the holes have simply been too big to fill.
The front office’s decision not to acquire defensive help at the trade deadline now looks like a major misstep. Depth players who were not ready have been forced into starring roles. Veteran linemen looked gassed by halftime, linebackers were late to react, and communication between levels broke down repeatedly.
Special teams blunders add to the pain
As if the defensive breakdowns weren’t enough, the special teams joined the collapse. After cutting the deficit to 28-20 late in the third quarter, San Francisco appeared to have seized momentum. That was until a blocked extra point deflated the crowd and gave the Rams an emotional lift.
That single play symbolized the 49ers’ disjointed effort. The blocked kick erased any chance of a true comeback push. The Rams quickly responded with another touchdown drive to put the game out of reach.
Shanahan can dial up as many creative plays as he wants, but it won’t matter if his team keeps beating itself with breakdowns like that.
Shanahan’s offense can’t cover up defensive collapse
Mac Jones played well in relief of Purdy. Again, he even threw for three touchdowns and showing poise under pressure. George Kittle was his usual reliable self. The running game found life late. Even at full throttle, though, this offense can’t keep compensating for a defense that has lost its identity.
The 49ers’ issues revolve around depth, discipline, and accountability. Shanahan’s best efforts can only go so far when the defense can’t tackle, cover, or pressure the quarterback. For the first time in years, it’s not the 49ers’ offense that’s the question mark. It’s their defense, and not even Kyle Shanahan can scheme his way around that.
