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Defensive finish Aaron Donald, proper, of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a cease in opposition to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) of the San Francisco 49ers through the second half of a NFC championship soccer recreation at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, January 30, 2022. (Photograph by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-Information/SCNG)
INGLEWOOD — Right here is how the 49ers (12-8) graded in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams (15-5) within the NFC Championship Recreation at SoFi Stadium:
PASS OFFENSE: D
Jimmy Garoppolo’s 1,394th and certain closing go of his 49ers’ profession resulted in his forty fourth interception (and numerous close to misses). It got here as soon as Aaron Donald plowed previous Daniel Brunskill, to pressure an outlet go by a quarterback taking part in the previous month with a torn ligament in his thumb. Garoppolo rightfully exited with combined feelings: sure, it pained him to lose so shut to a different Tremendous Bowl, however he additionally took delight in how his teammates (and, he, himself) responded from adversity all season. Heck, the passing recreation delivered with their solely touchdowns, on receptions by Deebo Samuel (44-yard, four-tackle-breaking effort) and George Kittle (for the 17-7 lead). Then got here three-and-out drives on the ultimate two possessions, the offense gagged, and Garoppolo accomplished 1-of-6 for minus-3 yards and Travin Howard’s interception off a deflection. His critics (see: media, followers, even his personal bosses) would possibly sometime rue the day Garoppolo grew to become a goner, craving for a return to this seemingly easy-to-reach NFC championship stage. Or perhaps Trey Lance delivers within the clutch subsequent yr. Nothing is assured, which made their earlier three wins in elimination motion so rattling pleasing.
RUN OFFENSE: D-
Third-and-2 from the Rams’ 45-yard line, was the 49ers’ deadly flaw this incapability to transform. Was it the earlier play of Elijah Mitchell shedding a yard. Look, Kyle Juszczyk’s third-down run for no achieve triggered a sequence that can hang-out them into the offseason; extra on that in our subsequent class. Effective, they didn’t go for it on fourth-and-2. That wasn’t lethal. Merely, the run recreation simply couldn’t break by way of the Rams’ overloaded entrance, for the primary time in seven conferences, ensuing of their first loss to them since 2018. Too usually, the runs have been predictably stoned. Elijah Mitchell was held to a career-low 1.8 yards per carry (11 for 20 yards). Samuel had a team-high 26 yards (seven carries) and the following thriller might be how the 49ers steadiness his utilization going ahead, after turning into such a dual-threat dynamo and All-Professional. The offensive line’s future? Trent Williams, who soldiered by way of a excessive ankle sprain, is assured to return on the NFL’s highest-paid wage (rightfully so) amongst offensive linemen. To his proper? Who is aware of. That line developed cohesion and chemistry, however it did sputter to the end line.
PASS DEFENSE: D+
OK, so Jaquiski Tartt ought to have intercepted Matthew Stafford’s 50-yard bomb that opened the Rams’ collection after Juszcyzk’s failed third-down run. It was deflating, little question. Was the subsequent play extra damaging? Odell Beckham Jr. struck for a 29-yard reception, then moved in a method right here Jimmie Ward drew an pointless roughness penalty, for a mixed 44 yards that launched the Rams towards their inevitable tying factors on a discipline purpose. These have been two obvious performs. The obvious stat, nevertheless, was the 49ers permitting conversions on 11-of-18 third-down performs. Stafford received his 337 yards, with 142 and two touchdowns to Cooper Kupp, as anticipated. Downside was (amongst many) is that the 49ers’ solely interception got here within the first quarter (Okay’Waun Williams’ splendid tip to Jimmie Ward in the long run zone) slightly than in crunch time. Nick Bosa got here away with 1 1/2 sacks (and officers once more ignored holding calls) to lift his profession whole to a franchise-record eight playoff sacks.
RUN DEFENSE: B
Yielding 73 speeding yards within the first half was regarding. Then got here the second half and the Rams, properly, they completed with 70 whole speeding yards — shedding six on Stafford’s clock-killing kneel-downs (by the best way, that’s redundant; you don’t kneel up, from what I’ve found). The 49ers have been up 10-7 so no matter run protection points that they had actually didn't value them. Bosa and Fred Warner every made two tackles for loss, and simply keep in mind them this offseason as sure-fire causes to assume extremely of subsequent season’s defensive prospects.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Ought to they've saved Jimmie Ward’s field-goal block for this week as a substitute of Inexperienced Bay, or Jordan Willis’ punt block? After all not. It’s only a reminder although of how clutch this unit was every week in the past. This recreation, it was largely uneventful, other than Samuel’s second-half kick returns to the 18- and 14-yard traces, which have been a far cry from final week’s post-halftime enhance in Lambeau.
COACHING: D
Is Kyle Shanahan merely snakebit within the playoffs, unable to guard fourth-quarter leads? What number of seasons can this proceed? Nicely, he ought to get the possibility for a lot of extra. He's a spectacular head coach, one who flipped this season from a 3-5 catastrophe into 1 / 4 shy of the Tremendous Bowl. Take a look at the 9 groups changing coaches this offseason. None will do higher than what the 49ers have in Shanahan. He, certainly, took delight on this staff’s resiliency, calling it one of many coolest staff he’s coached, and simply assume again on their closing three, team-oriented wins. Now comes an offseason through which the most important transfer is already predetermined at quarterback slightly than the subsequent draft prospects. Specializing in their late-season playoff push is crucial, as is the necessity to keep away from any additional fourth-quarter collapses in future playoff video games.