NFL Week 3 live updates: Inactives, schedule, kickoff times, matchups, odds and predictions
Sunday seemed like Jauan Jennings’ day and a San Francisco 49ers win. That is until Kyren Williams pulled off his own impressive feat, and kicker Joshua Karty hit a go-ahead 37-yard field goal with two seconds to play to give the Los Angeles Rams a 27-24 comeback win over Sunday at So-Fi Stadium.
Jennings accomplished a 49ers (1-2) feat that hasn’t occurred since Hall of Famer Jerry Rice sported a San Francisco uniform. He became the first 49er to have three touchdown receptions, more than 10 catches and 150 yards since Rice posted the stat line in 1995. Jennings’ career day came with star teammates Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle out of the lineup with injuries.
But then Los Angeles erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to pick up its first win of the season. Williams rushed for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to pace the Rams, who took their first lead of the game with just two seconds to play.
Jennings’ career day
The 49ers didn’t overthink their passing attack with their two leading pass catchers, Samuel and Kittle, out for Sunday’s game. They merely went with their third-leading wide receiver, Jennings.
Jennings now has 276 receiving yards on the season with Samuel, out Sunday with a calf injury, trailing behind with 164 yards. Brandon Aiyuk? The 49ers worked him into the offense early on and he finished with five catches for 43 yards. But there were two passes in the first half he probably could have hauled in but that fell incomplete, an indication that his chemistry with Brock Purdy remains a work in progress. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
Special teams mistakes cost 49ers
The 49ers had more special teams lapses Sunday, the first coming in the second quarter when the Rams tried a fake punt on fourth-and-6 from their own 43-yard line. The direct snap to Ronnie Rivers picked up the first down and the Rams scored their first touchdown later on the drive after being dominated for the first quarter and a half.
Then, the team allowed a 37-yard punt return with under a minute to play despite a punt from Mitch Wishnowsky that was fielded at the 13-yard line. That set the Rams up nicely at the 50-yard line and they capitalized with a drive that ended with a game-winning 37-yard field goal from Karty. Meanwhile, 49ers kicker Jake Moody could have all but iced the contest late in the game. But his 55-yard attempt sailed wide left, his first miss of the year. — Barrows
Purdy looked sharp
This was the circumstance so many of Purdy’s critics wanted for the 49ers young quarterback.
A tie game, 1:51 left on the clock, one timeout. His team in need of a game-winning drive, and he needed to do it with his three best playmakers — McCaffrey, Deebo and Kittle — all injured.
He scrambled for four yards to start the drive. He found Aiyuk for a first down. Then on second and 10, he made the big throw that game-winning drives require. A perfect pass down the right sideline was the chunk play the 49ers needed to put away the Rams.
But Ronnie Bell dropped it.
Purdy was sacked on third down and the 49ers were forced to punt.
With the way the defense was playing in the second half, that was ballgame. The 49ers needed to score but couldn’t do it.
Purdy finished 21-of-29 passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He looked like the same Purdy. He made several impressive throws. He turned it over once, getting strip-sacked for a fumble, and lived dangerously enough to raise the anxiety of Niners Nation. He scrambled to keep plays alive with his feet as the offensive line had its hands full with the Rams’ defensive front. Purdy ran for 35 yards, converting a few first downs on his eight runs and logged miles evading Rams pass rushers.
But the 49ers offense managed just three points in the fourth quarter, blowing a 14-0 first-quarter. The defense didn’t bail them out. The special teams didn’t come through. It was on the offense to get it done. And it didn’t. — Marcus Thompson, Bay Area columnist
Required reading
(Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
