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Niners fumble one away to Rams
• BY JIM THOMAS
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_8a11e301-e871-58cc-b708-6d7d15dab9d5.html
SANTA CLARA, Calif. • No one saw this coming, certainly not the San Francisco 49ers. But on a day when the Rams' pass rush returned with a vengeance and the Rams didn't crumble in the second half, they pulled off an improbable upset, hanging on to defeat the 49ers 13-10 at Levi's Stadium.
It came down to the next-to-last play Sunday, with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick fumbling on a quarterback sneak at the 1-yard line. The Rams recovered in the end zone for a touchback with 2 seconds left, and that was that.
One kneel-down later from the 20, and the Rams had registered their first victory in the Bay Area over San Francisco since 2007. They did it with eight sacks on defense, including two apiece by Robert Quinn and William Hayes. As the game progressed, Kaepernick looked more and more gun shy against the St. Louis pass rush.
Given up for dead a week ago, after another second-half meltdown led to a 34-7 loss in Kansas City, the Rams are now 3-5 at the midpoint of the season. San Francisco fell to 4-4.
After the teams traded first-quarter field goals, the second quarter started poorly for the Rams. First came an ill-advised throw by quarterback Austin Davis that resulted in an interception. And then came a San Francisco touchdown pass a few plays later to a wide-open Anquan Boldin on a busted coverage. All of that occurred early in the second quarter.
That kind of scenario has haunted the Rams basically all season. Boldin's TD catch came on a throw by a scrambling Kaepernick and gave the 49ers a 10-3 lead with 11 minutes 57 seconds left in the first half.
Trumaine Johnson, seeing his first action of the regular season following a knee injury, had started that series on defense for the Rams. But he was replaced by Marcus Roberson on that play. Roberson's eyes got caught watching Kaepernick scrambling for his life _ leaving Boldin wide open.
Why you would leave someone who had 896 career catches for 11,791 yards _ as was the case for Boldin entering Sunday's game _ is anybody's guess. But that's what happened, leading to the TD.
But despite a terrible start by Davis, who threw two first-half interceptions and nearly threw a couple more, the Rams rallied to tie the game 10-10 at the half.
After a sack by Robert Quinn knocked the ball loose from Kaepernick at the 2-minute warning, Eugene Sims' fumble recovery gave the Rams possession at the San Francisco 36. A screen pass from Davis to Benny Cunningham gained 17 yards and put the Rams in the red zone at the 19.
On the next play, Cunningham ran right into a run blitz, losing two yards. But on second-and-12 from the San Francisco 21, Davis found a wide-open Kenny Britt on a crossing route for a TD and a 10-10 tie with 1:04 left in the half.
The Rams' pass rush showed up in a big way in the first half, dropping Kaepernick six times. That matched the Rams' sack total in their first seven games combined. Quinn and William Hayes had two sacks apiece in the half. James Laurinaitis and Eugene Sims had a sack apiece.
It was Sims' sack, the last of the opening half, that pushed Phil Dawson's field goal attempt with 3 seconds left back to the 55-yard line. The kick was short, and then Tavon Austin _ stationed deep _ almost gave the 49ers a safety and a 12-10 lead to end the half.
Austin caught the ball a couple of yards deep, hesitated, and then started to return the missed field goal up the field. But Austin changed directions after running out to about the 2-yard line. He was tackled in the end zone.
Despite pleas from 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, it was ruled that Austin's forward progress had carried him beyond the goal line. A booth review upheld that call, so there was no safety and the score remained 10-10 at the half.
The teams traded punts in a scoreless third quarter, then the Rams got a chance to take the lead midway through the fourth. After pinning the 49ers at their 6 after a Johnny Hekker punt and a personal foul penalty against San Francisco, the Rams forced a 3-and-out, aided by two false starts against the 49ers and a Michael Brockers sack of Kaepernick _ the team's eighth of the day.
Offsetting penalties forced a re-kick by San Francisco punter Andy Lee. Then Lee, a three-time punter did the rarest of things. He shanked a punt; it traveled only 23 yards with the Rams taking over at the San Francisco 29 with 7:37 to play.
Three plays produced only eight yards, so out trotted Zuerlein to try a 39-yard field goal for the lead. Zuerlein, who missed a 38-yard field goal last week in Kansas City, made this 39-yarder, giving the Rams a 13-10 lead with 5:25 to play.
After an exchange of punts, the 49ers took over at their 12 with 3:11 to play. A 25-yard pass completion from Kaepernick to Stevie Johnson got the 49ers out of their hold. A missed tackle by Johnson added 16 yards to the completion.
With the aid of a defensive holding call against Lamarcus Joyner after a third-down pass fell incomplete, the 'Niners were able to move the ball to the Rams' 30, where they faced a third-and-5 with 51 seconds left to play.
But the 'Niners never got into the end zone. On third-and-goal from the 1, Kaepernick fumbled his quarterback sneak, the Rams recovered in the end zone for a touchback with 2 seconds left.
The Rams took over at the 20, and after a kneel-down by Davis, the Rams had pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL season.
Here are the updates posted during the game by Post-Dispatch football writer Joe Lyons:
In a fitting finish for a Rams defense turning in its best effort of the season, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick was stuffed and fumbled on a third-and-goal play from the 1 in the game's final seconds Sunday afternoon.
Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis came away with the loose ball in the end zone to cap an outstanding defensive effort for the Rams, who came away with a 13-10 victory in their first trip to Levi's Stadlum.
The Rams are 3-5; San Francisco is now 4-4.
The Rams defense, which held the 49ers scoreless in the second half, also helped set up the go-ahead score as Greg Zuerlein booted a 39-yard field goal to give the visitors a 13-10 lead with 5:25 to play. It's the Rams' first lead of the day.
The field goal came after Andy Lee's 23-yard punt from the 49er end zone. That San Francisco drive never got going because of 49er penalties and a Michael Brockers' sack _ the Rams' eighth of the day.
GAME TIED AT 10 WITH 15 MINUTES TO PLAY
In what has become a defensive struggle, the Rams and 49ers are still tied at 10 with 15 minutes to play.
The Rams, who entered the game with six sacks total, have sacked Colin Kaepernick seven times through three quarters.
Rams defensive end William Hayes, who has two of those sacks, was carted off from the sideline late in the thrid quarter.
RAMS, 49ERS TIED AT 10 AT THE HALF
The 49ers regained the lead early in the second quarter, converting after an Antoine Bethea interception. After Bethea came a leaping grab on an Austin Davis pass intended for Tavon Austin at the St. Louis 35, San Francisco needed three plays to go up 10-3. Rolling to his right, Colin Kaeperinick stopped and found Anquan Boldin wide open in the middle of the field. Boldin raced untouched to the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown with 11:57 to play in the first half.
The Rams responded just before halftime, taking advantage of their own turnover. Near midfield, defensive end Robert Quinn knocked the ball away from Kaeperinick _ on the fifth sack of the half for the Rams _ and Eugene Sims recovered at the San Francisco 36.
Two plays after a 17-yard gain on a screen pass from Davis to Benny Cunningham, Davis found Kenny Britt on a crossing pattern that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown that evened the score at 10 with 1:04 to play in the half.
The Rams may have caught a break in the half's waning seconds. On a 55-yard field goal try by Phil Dawson as time expired, Tavon Austin made an ill-advised return attempt, leaving the end zone briefly before being tackled into the end zone by the 49ers' Derek Carrier. The officials ruled in the Rams' favor _ no safety.
Some quick halftime numbers:
• Davis rallied late in the half and has completed 7 of 15 passes for 74 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Britt has two catches for 32 yards and a score.
• The Rams have sacked Kaepernick six times.
• Kaepernick has completed 11 of 16 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Boldin has 51 yards and a TD on three catches. Frank Gore has just 26 yards on seven carries.
RAMS, 49ers TIED AT 3 AFTER ONE QUARTER
The 49ers, who rallied from a 14-0 deficit to beat the Rams 30-17 at the Edward Jones Dome on Oct. 13, took the opening kickoff in the rematch and marched 64 yards on nine plays to take a 3-0 lead on 34-yard field goal from Phil Dawson.
The San Francisco drive was aided by three Rams' penalties, including a 15-yard late hit infraction on defensive lineman Eugene Sims.
Later in the quarter, the Rams put together a solid 12-play drive capped by a 37-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein that evened the score at 3 with 1:20 to play in the period.
CB JENKINS INACTIVE AGAIN
SANTA CLARA, Calif. • Of the 13 Rams players listed on the injury report this week, only two will not dress against the 49ers.
Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (knee) will sit out his second consecutive game. And backup safety Cody Davis, who left the Kansas City game with concussion symptoms, also was on the pregame inactive list. Davis actually passed the concussion protocol tests during the week and practiced Friday.
But the Rams still decided to make him a a pregame inactive, in essence leaving room for newly-acquired safety Mark Barron to make his Rams debut.
Joining Jenkins and Davis on the inactive list for the Rams are: S Maurice Alexander, LB Korey Toomer, G/T Brandon Washington, TE Alex Bayer and DE Ethan Westbrooks.
That means three players listed as questionable on the Rams' Friday injury report are all suiting up today: DT Aaron Donald (shoulder), S Rodney McLeod (knee), and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (toe).
Also suiting up are C Scott Wells (elbow) and OG Rodger Saffold. In addition, CB Trumaine Johnson (knee) is suiting up for the first time since suffering a knee injury in the Rams third preseason game, Aug. 23 in Cleveland.
For San Francisco LB Patrick Willis and CB Tramaine Brock head the list of inactives. Both were limited through the week with toe injuries. Others 49er inactives are: QB Josh Johnson, WR Quinton Patton, G/C Dillon Farrell, TE/DT Demarcus Dobbs TE/DT, and DT Tank Carradine.
(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)