A look at the instant takeaways from the Los Angeles Rams' loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Los Angeles Rams were expected to come out swinging, but they were instead steamrolled by the San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 27-7.
At the outset of the game, the offense looked to be in rough shape, and quarterback Matthew Stafford looked off.
Following a trio of injuries, the Rams simply could not keep up. That said, here are five takeaways from Los Angeles' loss.
Matthew Stafford and the Passing Game Struggle
One of the more surprising aspects of this loss for the Rams was the sheer inability that existed in the hands of Stafford and the pass game. Despite the run game keeping things going at times, the pass game was underwhelming.
Stafford's passes looked off, as he threw many over the heads of the intended receivers, including several to Puka Nacua.
The offense was expected to pick up where it left off, but this was certainly not the same level it had been. That could be a credit to the 49ers' defense, which caused plenty of issues for Stafford.
Run Game Remains Potent
Despite the passing game being stunted, the run game was off to a great start. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum traded off big runs.
Williams ended the day with 41 yards and one touchdown on 11 attempts, for a 3.7 yards per carry average.
Corum showed his explosiveness with 54 yards on 10 attempts for a 5.4 yards per carry average.
Oddly enough, the run game appeared to be abandoned when the Rams needed it most. It could be that the 49ers' defense was simply stacking the box and taking that element of the offense away.
Rams Suffer Multiple Significant Injuries
The game may have gone off the rails a bit due to some singificant injuries to multiple key players.
Things began with linebacker Omar Speights, who was seen walking to the locker room early in the first half. Initially, it was not known what happened, but he was labeled questionable to return with a hip injury.
Safety Kam Curl followed, as he suffered an ankle injury, leading to him also being labeled as questionable to return.
Finally, tight end Davis Allen was hit hard on the sideline, leading to him immediately going into the blue medical tent. It was later revealed that he was being evaluated for a concussion and did not return.
Late in the fourth quarter, fellow linebacker Nate Landman was also injured. Following an attempted tackle, he smashed his hand on a helmet, leading to his being pulled.
A further update indicated that Landman suffered a shoulder injury and he also did not return.
Myles Garrett Debut Disappoints
One of the more surprising elements of the Rams team was the lack of plays made by defensive end Myles Garrett. It could have been due to the knee injury he was nursing, but he was quiet on the field.
Garrett also kept being subbed out on multiple occasions, potentially pointing to his not being ready for full action. On top of dealing with the knee injury, he also did not participate a lot during training camp.
The Rams defensive end could very well not have been ready to play in this game at all.
Sean McVay's Travel Plan Backfires
The 49ers left for Australia a week ago to get accilimated to the time zone and whatever else would help them compete in this game. Rams head coach Sean McVay chose to fly his team out on Wednesday, which was just one day before the matchup.
Whether or not the travel truly did make a mark on Los Angeles, this is a fact that many might point to as being a factor in the loss.
