10 takeaways from Rams comeback win against 49ers

Matthew Stafford shows why he’s one of the best in Rams win against 49ers

The Los Angeles Rams finally got a win in the 2024 season as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-24. It wasn’t easy and took a 10-point comeback from Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter, but the Rams now sit at 1-2 heading into Week 4. Here are 10 takeaways from Sunday’s win.

1. Another slow start almost costs Rams

In the first three weeks of the season, the Rams have found themselves trailing by 14 or more points in all three. They’ve managed to take one of those games to overtime and win another. However, the Rams need to find a way to start faster. The Rams ran three plays on offense and they were down 14-0 on Sunday.

The comebacks are fun and exciting. With that said, the Rams need to play complementary football throughout the game. Those first few drives should be the most successful as that is what teams typically gameplan for all week. The Rams need quicker starts on both sides of the ball, because it’s unrealistic to win week in and week out from a 14-point deficit.

2. Chris Shula needs to make defensive adjustments

Any adjustment on the defensive side of the ball likely won’t come until the bye week. Still that doesn’t mean that they aren’t needed. It’s very clear at this point that Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder aren’t the answer at linebacker. Reeder had a very important run stop on third down in the fourth quarter, but that pairing has been a crutch through two weeks.

The defense ranked 27th out of 28 teams in EPA heading into Monday Night Football in Week 3. Tre White has struggled at cornerback and the safety play has left a lot to be desired over the last two weeks. The Rams defense is young and there are going to be lapses of consistency. Two things can be true here though and the current plan isn’t working. Whether it’s Jake Hummel or Omar Speights getting worked in more at linebacker or Ahkello Witherspoon getting some work at cornerback, changes are needed.

3. Rams need for a linebacker more evident than ever

There were times on Sunday against the 49ers where a wide receiver came open over the linebackers or Troy Reeder over-pursued, leading to extra yards. Reeder did have an important stop on a third-and-one in the fourth quarterback, but more times than not, the linebackers have struggled to fill the gaps in the running game.

It became increasingly evident that the Rams are missing a presence in the middle of their defense on Sunday. Reeder and Rozeboom are clearly overmatched. The value of the linebacker position isn’t what it used to be in the NFL, but the Rams have simply ignored it all together.

4. Patience with Logan Bruss paid off

There’s no doubt that Logan Bruss didn’t work out in the way that the Rams would have wanted him to when they drafted him. Had things gone as planned, Bruss is probably starting at right guard instead of Kevin Dotson.

Still, after injuries and cutting Bruss and putting him on the practice squad, things have taken a turn. This isn’t to say that Bruss played a perfect game. He had some rough moments early in which he was overpowered and pushed into the pocket. However, he played good enough when needed late and showed that he can step up in a pinch.

5. McVay needed to get in his bag and he did

The Rams couldn’t come into Sunday’s game against the 49ers and run the same offense that they had the previous two weeks. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were both out and the offensive line still wasn’t 100 percent. Sean McVay needed to mix things up and that’s exactly what he did.

For what has typically been an 11 personnel team, the Rams primarily operated out of 12 personnel against the 49ers. McVay also incorporated more play action into the offense as well. In fact, 32.1 percent of Stafford’s drop backs were play action. That was the highest percentage of play-action for Stafford since Week 11 last season against the Seahawks.

6. We need to have a conversation about TuTu Atwell

Alright, it’s time to have a conversation about TuTu Atwell. It gets tiring hearing about all of the things that Atwell can’t do. He can’t block, can’t beat press coverage, and can’t make contested catches. However, every time Atwell has gotten an opportunity, he’s shown what he can do. Atwell can get open underneath as defensive backs give him space and he can get open deep and create explosive plays down the field.

Atwell has seven games in which he’s been a featured piece of the Rams offense. In games where Atwell was targeted five or more times, he has 35 receptions for 421 yards and three touchdowns. Over the course of a season, that’s a 1,000 yard wide receiver.

After the game, McVay said,

“It makes you realize he probably should have gotten other opportunities. He’s always been called upon and he’s always kind of delivered. I think this is a stepping stone for him, but I’m proud of him.”

Moving forward, Atwell needs to have a role in the offense. This isn’t to say that he needs to be a featured piece when Kupp and Nacua return, but he should certainly be more involved than he has been. He is the most dynamic wide receiver on the roster.

7. Room for improvement, but defense stepped up late

There is a lot of improvement needed when it comes to the Rams defense. They current rank 24th in the red zone and the opening two drives both went for touchdowns. If they can’t get early stops, they are putting a lot of pressure on the offense early in games.

With that said, there was improvement. After allowing a rushing success rate of 55 percent last week, it was only 39.1 percent on Sunday. The defense forced a field goal in the fourth quarter in the red zone, getting a run stop on 3rd-and-1. They also forced a long field goal attempt that was missed and got off the field when the 49ers had 1:51 and two timeouts to win the game. This is a group that needs consistency and discipline, but there were things to build on in this one.

8. Rams special teams comes up big when needed most

After everything that the Rams went through on special teams last season, it’s odd that the special teams unit played a large role in the win against the 49ers. McVay went for a fake punt on 4th-and-6 in the first half. Ronnie Rivers converted and the drive ended in a touchdown. Xavier Smith’s punt return set up the offense to win the game in regulation. Lastly, after a preseason that didn’t give off a lot of confidence, Joshua Karty’s first big kick as a Ram is a game-winner against the 49ers.

The special teams unit came up big when their number was called on Sunday. The fake punt was the Rams’ first since 2022 and Smith gave the Rams a threat as a returner. Karty should give some level of steadiness at the kicker position. This is a unit that has seemingly turned a corner.

9. Matthew Stafford is him

There was a lot of discussion during the week about the Rams trading Stafford this season. Pundits speculated on the Rams trading Stafford for Bryce Young after he was benched. Sunday was the reason why the Rams will not be trading their starting quarterback.

In the fourth quarter, Stafford was 5-for-8 for 113 yards with EPA per play of 0.498 (3rd) and a +11.5 completion percentage over expectation. Stafford has two wins against the 49ers and both wins came from 10 points down in the fourth quarter. Said Stafford,

“There’s no doubt that down in the fourth quarter with the ball in my hand, I have a little extra heartbeat going, but I’m excited about those opportunities. I want to be in those moments.”

Stafford came up with big throw after big throw when it mattered. On the game-winning drive, he recognized the matchup of Colby Parkinson on De’Vondre Campbell that resulted in a pass interference penalty. Multiple times, Stafford recognized a light box and checked into a run play. When Stafford is at his best, the Rams are a tough team to beat.

10. That was one of the more impressive wins in Sean McVay’s career

The Rams came into Sunday’s game against the 49ers as 6.5 point underdogs. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were both injured along with the offensive line not being 100 percent. At 0-2, it can be argued that the Rams season was on the line on Sunday and McVay put together a night-and-day game plan that got the win.

That doesn’t mention that this win came against McVay’s biggest rival and that the Rams had a 4.5 percent chance to win at one point in the fourth quarter. Before Sunday, the 49ers were 15-0 when Brock Purdy had a passer rating of 110+ and 7-0 when he had three or more touchdowns with zero interceptions. This Rams win is a direct reflection of the level of coaching and McVay leads that.