SANTA CLARA – Here is how the 49ers (6-4) graded in Sunday’s 42-26 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams (7-2):
PASS OFFENSE: B
Mac Jones’ three touchdown strikes obviously weren’t enough to offset the four-pack from his counterpart, Matthew Stafford. Jones was not sacked, and he connected on 33-of-39 passes for the second-best completion percentage (84.7) in 60 career starts (5-3 with 49ers). Jauan Jennings fumbled away a second-series catch near the red zone, but Jennings, Luke Farrell and finally George Kittle each made touchdown catches. A fourth-quarter interception extinguished the comeback bid.
RUN OFFENSE: C-
The 49ers were 6-0 when they ran for over 70 yards until this game, when they had 74 yards on 21 runs. Christian McCaffrey gained just 30 yards on 12 (seemingly predictable) carries. Brian Robinson surpassed him with 41 yards on eight carries, including five rushes on a third-quarter drive that ended with his 1-yard, second-effort touchdown run. Spencer Burford started at left guard and rotated with Ben Bartch.
PASS DEFENSE: F
Matthew Stafford bolstered his MVP candidacy by shredding the 49ers for four touchdown passes and 280 yards. Kalia Davis and Keion White split the 49ers’ lone sack, and Bryce Huff had three quarterback hits in his return from a two-game hiatus. But there were no interceptions or forced fumbles from a unit that needs takeaways to compensate for its loss of key players. Renardo Green nearly had an interception as Stafford targeted him early, and Stafford coveted matchups against linebacker Luke Gifford.
RUN DEFENSE: D
The 49ers did not allow a run longer than 15 yards, but they did yield two rushing touchdowns to Kyren Williams as he atoned for his goal-line fumble and fourth-down stop in last month’s overtime loss to the 49ers. Williams finished with 73 yards (14 carries) and Blake Corum added 56 yards (13 carries) as the bit players in the Rams’ pass-dominant game plan.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D+
Eddy Pineiro had a point-after kick blocked in the fourth quarter, his first miss of any kind since his first PAT in his Week 2 debut. Skyy Moore set up the 49ers’ first touchdown with a 27-yard punt return to the Rams’ 36-yard line.
COACHING: D
Robert Saleh understandably looked downcast as he trudged through the locker room postgame with his playsheet in his left hand. His defense is hamstrung without Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and anyone able to make a play. Plus, 12-men-on-the-field issues surfaced twice with their revamped dime package. Offensively, the 49ers simply can not afford slow starts – or, actually, three-and-out entrances.