49ers Fall to Rams on last second Turnover

Coming off a Week 9 BYE and well rested to host a (2-5) St. Louis Rams team, the (4-3) 49ers were in position to put the ugly loss against the Broncos behind them in their last game with a return to the win column against a favorable foe. But unfortunately for Jim Harbaugh and company, the team would fail to seize the opportunity. Instead, the 49ers came out of the week off just as flat as they were heading in. With the lone bright spot of the game offensively being a 27-yard touchdown connection from 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick to receiver Anquan Boldin, San Francisco headed into the locker room at the half with the game tied at 10.

The Rams who entered the afternoon with a total of six sacks on the season collectively would double that mark in this game alone as the 49ers QB was taken down 8 times on the day, giving him little to work with while constantly under pressure. And while the 49er defense held their own, keeping Rams QB Austin Davis to only 105 yards passing with 1 touchdown and a pair of first half interceptions, it wasn't enough to bail out San Francisco's offense which made countless mistakes. The biggest of which coming on the final drive of the ballgame. Trailing by a field goal with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Kaepernick and company was given one last chance to pull out the sloppy victory. After marching all the way down field and in the red zone, San Francisco's offensive woes kicked in once again. Having led the NFL with a league-low 10 touchdowns in 25 red zone possessions this season, the 49ers once again failed to strike pay dirt. 

With a first down on the five-yard line, knocking on the door with a chance to take the lead and ultimately win the game, 49ers offensive-coordinator Greg Roman drew up three consecutive pass plays with the team unable to punch it in on either down. Then came a quarterback sneak attempt from the 1-yard line on third down which Kaepernick bobbled after the snap before crossing the goal-line and eventually fumbling the ball. St. Louis clearly came up with the ball but not until after the ball had broke the goal-line for what should've been the game-winning touchdown. Instead, the officials ruled the play a fumble and even after reviewing the play, were unable to overturn the initial call, giving the Rams the 13-10 victory. Although there would be a slew of bad calls in the game including a missed safety, this one definitely took the cake and Kaepernick himself didn't shy away from letting it be known following the game, swearing he had broke the plain with the ball. But regardless, the 49ers didn't win and frankly, they didn't deserve to given the fact that they had over a week to prep for an opponent they shouldn't have struggled so badly against. 

With the loss, the 49ers dropped to an even 4-4 on the year in what's been a disappointing start to the season. The loss also snapped the three-game winning streak for Jim Harbaugh's team over the Rams as San Francisco was shutout for the third time this season during the second half. Kaepernick finished the game with 237 yards passing and a touchdown after throwing for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns in the earlier meeting between these two teams just three weeks ago, a game in which the 49ers didn't allow a single sack.

Week 10 Preview: Hitting the road in Week 10, the 49ers will meet with another NFC foe looking to improve from their 4-4 record in the New Orleans Saints. Hoping to bounce back from the disappointing loss and end their two-game skid, San Francisco will be given the daunting task of facing Drew Brees in the Superdome, a venue that has been none too kind to Jim Harbaugh's 49ers. Last season, the Niners were on the opposite end of a controversial penalty on linebacker Ahmad Brooks who had been penalized for making a clean hit on the quarterback which the officials ruled "roughing the passer." The call would prove to be costly as it aided the Saints in scoring the go-ahead touchdown. Let's just hope the refs call this one evenly and don't factor in the outcome. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest