Young Rams flash promise but come up short against 49ers

INGLEWOOD — If last weekend’s season-opening win was the young Rams telling the NFL not to take them lightly, then they were reminded by the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s 30-23 loss how far they still have to go.

The Rams (1-1) came out strong, even jumping out to a touchdown lead with 1:45 to go in the first half. But the Niners (2-0) responded with 17 straight points to retake control, then closed out the game with timely defense.

But that doesn’t mean the young Rams weren’t flashing their potential throughout the game.

“Ultimately, we didn’t come away with the result we were hunting up, but there was a lot of good things we can take away,” head coach Sean McVay said. “I wouldn’t say a missed [opportunity], but learning opportunities.”

Receivers Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua picked up right where they left off in Week 1. Atwell’s speed made him difficult for the Niners to account for, and he flashed some strength finishing a catch through a hit from Deommodore Lenoir.

The rookie Nacua, meanwhile, brought in an NFL rookie-record 15 catches for 147 yards. With 25 passes caught, Nacua broke the NFL record for most receptions by a player in his first two career games.

“I don’t know if I could wrap my head all the way around it,” Nacua said. “One day at a time, one play at a time just to try to be where my feet are at and make sure I’m executing in the moments I’m asked to execute.”

Meanwhile, second-year back Kyren Williams — starting in place of the scratched Cam Akers — again found the end zone twice, as he did last week. He skipped in for a screen-pass touchdown to tie the game at 10, sprung by blocks by center Coleman Shelton and second-round pick Steve Avila, then gave the Rams the lead late in the second quarter behind a Tyler Higbee pulling block.

Meanwhile on defense, second-year corner Cobie Durant’s third-down pass breakup forced San Francisco into a field goal in the first quarter. And third-round picks Kobie Turner and Byron Young teamed up, with Turner flushing San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy out of the pocket for Young to pick up the third-down sack.

But youth has it pitfalls as well, like when second-year corner Derion Kendrick was called for consecutive penalties in the end zone at the end of the second half. The Niners faced fourth-and-goal from the half-yard line with one second left, and Purdy snuck the ball in for a tying touchdown.

Then with the Rams driving and looking to retake the lead in the third quarter, Williams could not corral a pass, tipping it up for Isaiah Oliver to intercept.

“I think that was a key play in the game,” McVay said. “Some penalties, there were some things like that, a couple little turnovers. But there was a four-play sequence there, and that was certainly one of them, where the game can kind of pivot in a very quick manner against an excellent team.”

A 57-yard field goal by Jake Moody was followed by a three-and-out by the Rams. The 49ers took over at their own 26 and went 74 yards in seven plays, with Deebo Samuel breaking two tackles on his way to the end zone for a 10-point lead.

The Rams responded with a 48-yard Brett Maher field goal, then outside backer Michael Hoecht and safety Jordan Fuller stopped Samuel dead in his tracks on second down before Purdy threw behind the receiver on third to force a three-and-out with 5:38 to play.

But quarterback Matthew Stafford tried to force the ball to Van Jefferson on third down only for Lenoir to take advantage of the safety playing over the top to jump the route for the clinching interception as the small portion of blue-clad fans headed for the exits.

It wasn’t the end the Rams surely envisioned when things were going their way in the second quarter. But this also hasn’t been the start many envisioned for them entering the season.

There are still ebbs and flows to be navigated with a young roster, but the reasons for hope are hard to miss.

“You got to continue to try to push,” Stafford said. “Maybe I can show those guys the way. I’m trying to do everything I can. I know those guys are fighting tooth and nail, they’re asking me questions, we’re trying to get on the same page and do it as well as we possibly can. That’s part of it. I was a young player once, I’m not naïve to that. I love the effort and the fight and the strain these guys have.”