The 49ers were defeated in a pointless game that prepared the field for the postseason.
In a pointless Week 18 game that set up the postseason field, the San Francisco 49ers fell to the Los Angeles Rams 21–20, ending their regular season with a 12–5 record.
Trent Williams was substituted out for the majority of San Francisco’s starting lineup after a series, but the remaining players were on the field for almost the whole first half.
The 49ers led 20–7 at the half thanks to their best unit, but they ultimately lost 21–20 after failing to score any more points.
After the game, 49ers analyst Rohan Chakravarthi gave his immediate assessment of the team’s 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, outlining the key lessons the team should learn going ahead.
Offense
Sam Darnold performed admirably in the first half while working with the starting offense. He completed all five of his passes during the 49ers’ opening touchdown drive and set up scoring possibilities for San Francisco on each of their four drives within the first thirty minutes.
Kicker Jake Moody missed a 38-yard field goal and an extra point, which prevented the 49ers from scoring 24 points at the half.
Sam Darnold and company struggled to move the ball with the reserves in the second half, punting on three straight possessions until the quarterback committed a costly fumble on the game’s last drive, which effectively ended the game for the Rams.
Aside from his gaffe, Darnold performed admirably considering the situation, albeit he was often let down by his pass-catchers’ drops.
Defense
The 49ers gave up just seven points in the first half, mostly due to a well-executed touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Puka Nacua when Charvarius Ward was covering. The starting defense was on the field for almost the whole game.
Aside from that, the 49ers forced a punt close to midfield and an interception when Tayler Hawkins caught a tipped throw.
Nevertheless, the Rams began moving the ball in the second half after San Francisco substituted backups, embarking on a 17-play, 75-yard touchdown drive before turning the ball over on downs in 49ers territory and scoring another score on the next possession.
With less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles took the lead thanks to two scores, and the Rams held on to win their first game over the 49ers in the regular season since 2018.