{"id":136617,"date":"2024-12-13T16:22:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T09:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136617"},"modified":"2024-12-13T16:22:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T09:22:01","slug":"reigning-nfc-champs-again-blow-it-in-fourth-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136617","title":{"rendered":"Reigning NFC champs again blow it in fourth quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>SANTA CLARA \u2013 If the 49ers were bound to vanish from playoff contention by mid-December, it only made sense for them to blow another NFC West game in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>This time the 49ers had only a 6-3 lead to protect, and, in the end, they walked off their soggy field Thursday night with a 12-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n<p>Along the way, one 49ers stunningly opted out of the game: Ninth-year veteran De\u2019Vondre Campbell refused to replace injured linebacker Dre Greenlaw in the third quarter, at which point the Rams were seizing momentum.<\/p>\n<p>That unexplained betrayal left teammates seething, even more so than any chatter about their playoff hopes essentially expiring.\u00a0Officially, the reigning NFC champs are not eliminated. But, with a 6-8 record overall and a 1-4 mark in division games, the 49ers\u2019 playoff chances are less than 1 percent, according to the New York Times\u2019 simulator.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday night\u2019s turning point wasn\u2019t Joshua Karty\u2019s third field goal of the night that gave the Rams (8-6) their first lead with 9:29 remaining.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, take your pick of the 49ers\u2019 turn for the worse: Brock Purdy\u2019s fourth-quarter pass that got intercepted at the goal line, or Dre Greenlaw\u2019s third-quarter exit with a left-knee issue that ended his sensational season debut 10 months after an Achilles tear in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n<p>Afterward, the Greenlaw exit took on a bigger light when coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Campbell refused to enter in the third quarter, when Greenlaw\u2019s left knee felt awkward amid his comeback from an Achilles tear 10 months ago in the Super Bowl . Shanahan obviously expressed dismay over Campbell \u201cquitting,\u201d and several players also were in dismay, not to mention how they were shorthanded with Dee Winters (groin) also hurt earlier in the game.<\/p>\n<p>Tight end George Kittle said he wasn\u2019t aware of Campbell\u2019s status until afterward, adding: \u201cI wish I heard about it on the field. I didn\u2019t. Now is that the reason we lost? Absolutely not. It\u2019s hard to win football games when someone does not want to suit up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Disgruntled 49ers\u2019 fans are sure to point to Deebo Samuel, who drew boos upon a third-quarter drop that could have resulted in the game\u2019s only touchdown. \u201cI catch that ball, there\u2019s nothing there but the end zone,\u201d Samuel said. \u201cAt the end of the day, I just have to catch the rock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That drop came midway through the third quarter, forcing the 49ers to settle for Jake Moody\u2019s 47-yard field goal and a 6-3 lead. Samuel, upon that drop, grabbed his head in disgust, fans booed, and he kept running his crossing route all the way to the sideline, where he stripped off his helmet and took a seat on the bench.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel\u2019s best move of the night came on the Rams\u2019 final kickoff, which he returned 41 yards and drew a penalty on the Rams\u2019 horse-collar tackle. With 11 seconds remaining, the 49ers were at midfield, needing a miraculous touchdown. Instead, Purdy uncorked a final incompletion (14-of-31, 142 yards) and then got sacked as time expired.<\/p>\n<p>Purdy\u2019s 30th pass of the night was the interception, forced toward Jennings while Ricky Pearsall broke open. The Rams responded with a 5-minute march before Karty\u2019s fourth and final field goal with 18 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a lot of plays left I could have made for our team,\u201d Purdy said. \u201cThe defense and special teams played so good. I feel I failed the team. I could have been better and put up more points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kittle said of Purdy\u2019s take: \u201cHe\u2019s a selfless person. Does not have an ego. He\u2019s a fantastic leader and playmaker. I don\u2019t want him to wear that on his shoulder. But when you\u2019re the quarterback of the 49ers, there\u2019s always a spotlight on you, it\u2019s automatic. I love him for doing that and taking the blame, but it\u2019s not on him.<\/p>\n<p>Once Karty\u2019s 27-yarder put the 49ers behind 9-6, they responded with gritty work to reach Moody\u2019s range for a potential third field goal from him, too. Then came the 49ers\u2019 biggest slip up on what began as a very rainy night. On second-and-10 from the Rams\u2019 33-yard line, Purdy got intercepted at the goal line on a second-and-10 floater to a double-covered Jauan Jennings down the right sideline, with Darius Williams making the interception for the game\u2019s first turnover with 5:14 remaining.<\/p>\n<p>Purdy said rather than be aggressive, he should have checked down to a shorter pass, and \u201cjust got to learn from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That spoiled a drive highlighted by completions to Pearsall (16 yards) and George Kittle (9 yards), as well as a 10-yard run by Isaac Guerendo to that 33-yard line. Three snaps before the interception, Purdy underthrew an open Pearsall on a 40-yard shot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had opportunities in the pass game that could have led to 14 points. We didn\u2019t make those,\u201d Shanahan said, alluding to that shot to Pearsall, and Samuel\u2019s third-quarter drop.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers\u2019 defense certainly lost some luster when Greenlaw exited to the bench; Shanahan said Greenlaw did not re-tear his left Achilles but had trouble loosening it up after halftime. He finished with eight tackles, six before halftime.<\/p>\n<p>Said Greenlaw: \u201cThe knee felt real weird so i just wanted to protect myself. It got a little tight. I had to use precaution. The Achilles is good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Greenlaw isn\u2019t ruling himself out of an encore in the 49ers\u2019 next game.\u00a0Unable to successfully build off Sunday\u2019s 38-13 home win over Chicago, the 49ers (6-8) now trudge back to the East Coast for the third time in seven weeks, with the Miami Dolphins hosting them on Dec. 22 (4:25 p.m. ET). The Dolphins (6-7) first play Sunday at the Houston Texans (8-5).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I was healthy, I\u2019d play another game tomorrow. I\u2019m sore, played a lot of plays. It\u2019s expected,\u201d Greenlaw said. \u201cKnee is sore. Same side of surgery so everything is probably tighter. We have 10 days to next game to get range of motion and confidence back in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Muddled in a 6-6 tie, the Rams broke through for the game\u2019s longest play: a 51-yard connection from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nuakua (past Charvarius Ward) at the 49ers\u2019 16-yard line. Back-to-back run stops by safety Tashaun Gipson set the stage for Fred Warner\u2019s best play in months, that being his stop of a Kyren Williams catch for no gain on 3rd-and-2 catch at the 8-yard line.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers took a 6-3 lead into the fourth quarter, but was far from the bigger advantages they blew in notorious losses to the Rams: they led 24-14 in a Week 3 defeat (27-24) at SoFi Stadium, and they owned a 17-7 lead in the 2021 season\u2019s NFC Championship Game (20-17).<\/p>\n<p>Said Fred Warner: \u201cIt was the story of the year: not doing enough to win games, not playing complementary, just coming up too short.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers scored on their first possession of each half, doing so on Moody field goals of 53 and 47 yards.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel produced just 19 yards on the night: 16 yards by catching 3-of-7 targets, and the other three yards coming on two carries. He had just 15 yards on five touches before halftime, after griping on social media Monday about his self-perceived lack of opportunities. He also had a false-start penalty, and he unofficially made a tackle when he collided with Isaac Guerendo in the backfield.<\/p>\n<p>Kittle consoled Samuel postgame, later telling the media he\u2019s never seen Samuel drop a pass like that before, it being an open-field disaster. Samuel entered with a team-high five drops this season, plus two this game.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers grabbed a 3-0 lead via Moody\u2019s 53-yard field goal on their second series, which opened with a 33-yard reception by Kittle. The drive stalled when Samuel was stopped for a 2-yard gain on third-and-6, after earlier colliding on a backfield-motion play with Guerendo to halt his 1-yard run.<\/p>\n<p>The Rams tied it at 3 with 1:05 until the halftime show (corgi races). Karty made a 48-yard field goal to bail out the Rams\u2019 first-half offense in which Stafford completed just 4-of-12 passes for 23 yards, with running back Williams totaling 44 yards on 14 carries.<\/p>\n<p>Guerendo, making an encore start and playing through Sunday\u2019s foot sprain, had just 17 yards on eight carries in the first half. He finished with 57 yards on 16 carries, plus 18 yards on four catches.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers\u2019 starting defense welcomed back not only Greenlaw but also defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed the previous three games with an oblique injury. Safety Talanoa Hufanga, two games into his return from a two-month break, made an early impact against the run. By the fourth quarter, Ji\u2019Ayir Brown (groin) was out and Tashaun Gipson returned to pair with Hufanga like the previous two seasons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the story of the year, not doing enough to win games, not playing complementary, just coming up too short,\u201d Warner said.<\/p>\n<p>Warner shared that Hufanga addressed the team postgame and insisted they follow his lead of playing all-out to the very end, since he\u2019s battled back from injuries to play in four games this season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what the message is now and we\u2019ll find out who wants to be a Niner,\u201d Bosa said.<\/p>\n<p>Originally Published: <time datetime=\"2024-12-12 20:06:28\">December 12, 2024 at 8:06 PM PST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2024\/12\/12\/instant-anlaysis-of-49ers-12-6-loss-to-rams-as-playoff-hopes-essentially-vanish\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SANTA CLARA \u2013 If the 49ers were bound to vanish from playoff contention by mid-December, it only made sense for them to blow another NFC West game in the fourth &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=136617\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136617"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136617\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}