So the running back with a foot injury? He played about three quarters of the snaps and got 20 touches. Almost everyone else, with weather a factor, played as if they were injured. Except for the guy who decided he didn't want to play at all.
QUARTERBACKS
Four days after Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford each threw for 320-325 yards and 2 TDs, those quarterbacks combined for 302 passing yards (160 and 142) and no touchdowns. To elaborate, last night two teams ranked 4th and 15th in total offense played the first game all season with no touchdowns by either team. The hourly weather report yesterday afternoon indicated a 30 percent chance of rain and winds of 10-12 mph. Watching the players warm up on the field beforehand, it didn't look too bad. But the rain got worse as the game started, and it seemed like neither quarterback or offense was prepared for it.
Stafford in the first half was 4 of 12 for 23 yards. He missed Cooper Kupp three times and gave up. He was fortunate not to throw interceptions on each of his first two series. His completions were short dumpoffs to Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams. I haven't seen his postgame comments if he was having trouble gripping the ball or whatnot, he was certainly under some pressure, but it was painful to watch him overthrowing, underthrowing and just missing his targets. It wasn't raining in the second half, but things didn't get much better. There was a 51-yard completion to Nacua, but even that should have been a 67-yard touchdown; Stafford underthrew him.
Purdy had worse numbers but maybe deserved a little better. Deebo Samuel dropped a slant that probably would have gone for a touchdown. A deep shot to George Kittle was incomplete with the tight end being mauled. Frequently we watch games and the officiating crew seems flag-happy. This group didn't want to prolong the action by throwing flags at all. Let 'em play, I've got an Uber waiting. It's not like Purdy wasn't throwing it (31 attempts), they just weren't having much success (14 completions). It was raining in the first half, yes, but the rain stopped and the passing game continued to struggle.
I said "maybe" deserved a little better because Purdy also threw a pretty inexplicable end-zone interception with 5 minutes left in a 9-6 game. It was second and 10, the Niners were in field goal range, Ricky Pearsall was open underneath, but Purdy decided to chuck it up to Jauan Jennings with three defenders around him and it was easily picked off. Just one play but kind of a big one.
RUNNING BACKS
Given conditions, you might have expected running backs to put up good numbers. Kyren Williams did run for 108 yards, but on 29 attempts (3.7), so not terribly efficient. Maybe not great footing, there was some sideline reporting discussion over footwear, perhaps the teams weren't properly prepared for the conditions. They've got access to weather.com, right? Williams is a smaller back so he doesn't fit the profile of a guy who would thrive in rainy weather. Serviceable if you started him, but you were hoping for more.
Isaac Guerendo got you 11.5 points in PPR leagues. I think if you didn't start him you're probably glad, and if you did start him you're not thrilled but OK with it; could have been worse. Touchdowns are never guaranteed. He didn't leave early or anything. But he averaged 3.6 yards per attempt against a defense ranked 28th against the run, so it could be fairly said he was perhaps not as good as he might have been if he didn't have a sprained foot. Caught 4 passes, tying for the team lead. Guess the team didn't have much interest in using Patrick Taylor, who played 3 offensive snaps and didn't touch the ball.
WIDE RECEIVER
Cheers to Puka Nacua, whose stat line (7 for 97) looks like he was playing in an entirely different game from everyone else. Should have had 16 more yards and a touchdown, had Stafford not underthrown him. Guy's a star, unfortunately a couple of my fantasy teams that drafted him dug too big a hole while he was hurt, but these things happen.
That was it for good from the various wide receivers. Deebo Samuel dropped a should-have-been touchdown. Jauan Jennings caught 2 of 9 -- overthrown, underthrown, targeted on the sideline with no chance of getting his feet down. Cooper Kupp played 85 percent of the time but didn't see a target after the 5-minute mark of the first quarter. Also playing about 80 percent of the snaps was Demarcus Robinson, seeing 1 target and no catches. At least nobody started him. Ricky Pearsall and Tutu Atwell, one harmless catch apiece. Moving on.
TIGHT ENDS
George Kittle came to play, as per usual. Caught 4 for 61, should have drawn a flag on another long pass early on. The Rams held Tyler Higbee out for another game, leaving Colby Parkinson and Hunter Long to each catch 2 short passes. Nothing much to see here. Presumably Higbee will return next week, but he wasn't tearing it up last year anyway, and I'd think Job 1 will be throwing Kupp a catchable pass or two.
MISCELLANEOUS
Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl, returned for this game, supplanting De'Vondre Campbell in the starting lineup. Campbell apparently didn't take well to the demotion, since when Greenlaw had to come out of the game due to knee/Achilles soreness, Campbell declined to go in. He wound up heading to the locker room early, which seems to have been a shrewd decision based on what his teammates had to say about his choices after the game. Campbell will be released or suspended or whatever today, kind of a sad story for a guy who was an All-Pro just three years ago. Probably no coming back from that in an NFL locker room.
That's it for the 49ers playoff hopes, and there are a lot of offseason questions looming. Can they rely on Christian McCaffrey, who's just one of many older players on this roster. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have come under some criticism, certainly the team hasn't drafted especially well in recent years. Fourth place in the NFC West doesn't look great.
With the Rams, they're probably going to the playoffs as NFC West champs (at the Jets and home versus the Cardinals and Seahawks is what's left; they'll be favored in all three games). Maybe not getting far (they're 0-3 against playoff teams Detroit, Green Bay and Philadelphia) but impressive for a team most thought would be sellers at the trade deadline.
Hopefully a better game next week (Broncos and Chargers). It could hardly be worse.