SANTA CLARA – Renardo Green nearly celebrated his 25th birthday Sunday with an interception.
Instead, Matthew Stafford’s third-down pass escaped Green’s clutches about a minute before halftime of the 49ers’ 42-26 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
That specific play won’t haunt the 49ers (6-4) as much as this defeat will overall in the NFC West standings. But the 49ers’ glaring incompetence at forcing turnovers is complicating life without Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Mykel Williams, etc.
Remember when the 49ers beat the Rams a month ago with the help of Alfred Collins’ forced fumble at the 1-yard line?
“Winning the turnover battle definitely ups your chances to winning games,” Green said in an exclusive interview at his locker. “But I wouldn’t say it’s just turnovers are what we need to help the defense do certain things. Everybody has to buckle down, no matter how good or bad you played.”
The 49ers have just one interception in their past 17 games, and that came from Deommodore Lenoir in an Oct. 26 loss at Houston. Green has just one interception in 26 career games.
“Everyone wants to catch the interception and go the other way,” Green said. “Me and the guy (Rams rookie Konata Mumpfield) went for the ball. I didn’t come down with it. Play the next play.”
Stafford peppered the 49ers’ skeleton crew with 36 passes (24 completions, four touchdowns). Their running backs had 27 carries. No interceptions, no fumbles, no turnovers. No chance.
“Anytime our backs are against the wall, it can change the whole trajectory of the game,” safety Malik Mustapha said in an exclusive interview. “So, when we’re out there, it’s on our minds. We have to capitalize on the opportunity, because we might not get that many in a game.”
Here are 10 things that jumped out in the 49ers’ lopsided loss:
1. JENNINGS’ LOST FUMBLE
Staying with the turnover theme, Jauan Jennings fumbled away the 49ers’ second possession once the ball was KO’d in Rams’ territory by local boy Nate Landman, a Monte Vista High-Danville product. “It’s tough one, a tough one. Super tough,” Jennings said. “I take it very hard on myself.”
Jennings rebounded to score the 49ers’ first touchdown, on a 6-yard catch three minutes before halftime. So, how does he block out a fumble like that? “You won’t see another fumble. How ‘bout that?” answered Jennings, who now has one lost fumble amid 183 career receptions.
2. JONES’ EFFICIENT DAY
Mac Jones completed 84.7% of his passes (33-of-39) for the second-best mark in 60 career starts. Then again, George Kittle relayed how Jones joked that another pass was caught, only by the Rams for an interception, and that would make a career-best 87.1% rate.
Only two 49ers quarterbacks have enjoyed a better completion rate when throwing at least 30 passes: Jeff Garcia (81.8% in 2000 vs. Chicago) and Steve Young (80.5% at Washington in 1996).
Asked if he knew Jones’ capabilities prior to this season, Kittle bluntly replied: “No, I did not. Nope. I did not. It’s awesome. … He is playing really well. He’s not dangerous with the football, either.” Jones completed passes to nine different (49ers) receivers, with touchdown strikes to Jennings, Kittle and Luke Farrell.
3. FUTURE QB INTRIGUE
Hard to imagine the 49ers benching a quarterback who’s so efficient. But coach Kyle Shahanan and general manager John Lynch have staunchly maintained this is Brock Purdy’s team, and he could reclaim his starting job as soon as Sunday’s return to his native Arizona. “Hopefully he’ll have a chance this week,” Shanahan said without much conviction.
Jones, right after the loss, dutifully answered what he termed a “random question,” in which a reporter wondered why he signed a two-year contract in March and missed out on 2026 free agency. “It’s what was presented to me and I wanted to get back to having fun playing football, and I’ve done that,” Jones replied. “Today wasn’t as fun, obviously. I still believe that we have the right guys in the locker room.”
The 49ers are right in the thick of the NFC playoff chase thanks to Jones. Current seed: No. 8 (only seven qualify).
4. STAFFORD’S PROWESS
Imagine how challenging it must be to defend passes whizzed by Stafford, who’s playing arguably his cleanest, sharpest football in a career ticketed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I don’t think it’s the hardest thing in the world to do,” Green said. “I mean, you’re in the NFL and you’re going to play against good receivers and good quarterbacks every week. Guys are going to make plays, and you’re going to make your plays. I don’t really look at it as, ‘Oh, Hall of Fame guy.’”
Stafford’s fourth touchdown pass was a no-look gem. “He’s tricky looking people off in the pocket,” Mustapha said. “That’s just his game. I wouldn’t say that’s what beats us. He’s the look-off king in the NFL. That’s what makes him such a great, Hall of Fame quarterback.”
5. NO WIN STREAK
The Rams and the Seattle Seahawks are riding four-game win streaks that have each atop the NFC West at 7-2 overall. The 49ers (6-4) have not won back-to-back games since their 3-0 start, and have since alternated losses and wins. “I will say that win-loss, win-loss is a lot better than last year, when it was just loss, loss, loss, loss, loss,” Kittle said.
Indeed, the 49ers are having their most topsy-turvy, win-loss season in Shanahan’s nine-year regime which has otherwise been full of streaks. Such as: nine losses to open 2017 and five wins to close it; eight wins to open 2019; 10 wins to the 2022 season’s NFC title game; and, three- and four-game skids to finish last season.
Had the 49ers won, they would have been 7-3, and they’ve made the playoffs all previous 18 times in the Super Bowl era when they’ve won at least seven games through 10.
6. START TO FINISH
The 49ers did not allow a first-quarter point through five games. But after winning the pregame coin toss and deferring to start on defense, the 49ers have allowed opening-drive points in each of their past three games: a 9 ½-minute field-goal drive in Houston, then touchdown drives at New York and here against the Rams.
“We can’t, in games like this against a good team, spot teams points like that,” Mustapha said, “because it’s going to be hard to come back from no matter what character you have on this team.”
The 49ers’ offense failed to get a first down in the opening possession of the past three defeats. Sunday, the 49ers went three-and-out, then came Jennings’ fumble, and their third drive ended with Christian McCaffrey stopped on fourth down at the Rams’ 11-yard line. “If we do better the first three drives, we give ourselves a better chance,” guard Dominick Puni said.
7. BETHUNE UPDATE
Shanahan reported no injuries, and the only noticeable issue came on the 49ers’ second defensive series when Bethune’s right knee was evaluated on the field. He finished that touchdown drive in the sideline medical tent, then returned the next series.
“I just had to get off the field for a quick minute. Nothing crazy. I’m good,” Bethune said.
His 10 tackles marked his fifth straight game with at least that many, matching Patrick Willis for the 49ers’ longest streak in at least 25 years. Warner, along with Bosa and Williams, was in attendance and spoke afterward to Bethune. “He said we’ve just got to play hard, execute and get off the field,” Bethune said.
8. KITTLE TOUCHDOWN
After Kittle deftly toed the left sideline 13 yards and stretched for the left pylon for the game’s final touchdown, he chucked the football across the field to save with the 49ers’ equipment staff.
Even if it came with three minutes left in a lopsided loss, it goes down as a fourth-quarter score for his third touchdown catch this season. It was the 48th of his career, tying Dwight Clark for seventh-most in 49ers history. And it was also his ninth catch on nine targets Sunday.
“I like to keep my touchdown balls because they’re very difficult to score. I’ve learned that over the course of my career,” Kittle said. “They’re fun. My wife likes them as decorations.”
Kittle, amid his dive, flashed back to his senior year at Iowa, where he made a similar sideline move against Purdue but was marked an inch shy of the goal line. That memory reminded him to keep his feet elevated for this score. Also, his 84 receiving yards pushed his career total to 7,564 in 118 games, so he’s the third-fastest tight end to eclipse 7,500 yards.
9. SACKAROONIES STILL SCARCE
The 49ers have just seven sacks in seven games since Bosa’s Week 3 knee injury. Sunday’s lone sack was shared by Kalia Davis and Keion White.
Bryce Huff’s four sacks (through Week 7) still lead the 49ers. Out with a hamstring injury the previous two games, he had three hits on Stafford. “We’re playing a division team that unloaded the clip on us today, tried to give us everything that we could look at,” Stafford said.
10. NO RAMS SACKS
The 49ers did not allow a sack for the first time in 21 games. Reminder: Jones had 39 pass attempts. Also: The Rams’ Byron Young entered with nine sacks, two off the NFL lead. Finally: The 49ers’ 21-0 deficit prompted a pass-oriented comeback bid, with a rotation at left guard between Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch.
“I know we emphasized it and they did a great job just keeping the energy throughout the game,” Jones said of his protection. “It’s not an easy game to play when you get down. I felt like we had a chance there to at least get close to matching scores and we didn’t.”
Jones got decked by Jared Verse on a fourth-down play wiped out by offsetting peanlties, then came Jones’ only interception on the next snap. “It was a good hit. It didn’t affect anything,” Jones said.