3 Takeaways From The 49ers Week 4 Win Against the LA Rams

The San Francisco 49ers have used the Los Angeles Rams as a get-right game before, following that same formula Monday Night by winning their Week 4 contest, 24-9.

San Francisco was in charge from the jump in this one, getting out to a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense controlled the pace and kept the Rams looking for answers on both sides of the ball. Despite the dominance, the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford found themselves in a one-score game with less than seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Then Talanoa Hufanga happened.

Giving shades of linebacker NaVarro Bowman at Candlestick, the second-year safety jumped a screen pass in the direction of wideout Cooper Kupp, bobbling the pick before securing and taking it the opposite way for six points.

A 52-yard pick-six that sent Levi’s Stadium into hysterics and put the game away for the 49ers.

“I’m very fortunate and I’m not trying to get all emotional and stuff, but I’m very fortunate just to have the staff, this organization is just a blessing to me,” a smiling Hufanga said after the game Monday. “The guys on my team and on the sidelines, they continue to support me. Coach Kyle has given me a lot of confidence. I’m a young guy. I’m only 22, so I’m just got to keep going, you know, never satisfied and never get complacent.”

The 49ers improve to 2-2 on the season and are in sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

The Huff pick is all anyone will remember but there were a lot of bright spots for the 49ers in Week 4. Here are three of those bright spots.

The Tongan Tiger & The Elite Defense of the 49ers

The 49ers have been excellent on defense to start the season but Monday night was a statement for the national audience that this unit is among the very best in the league. Holding the defending champs to nine points is phenomenal but also not allowing a touchdown to Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, that’s almost impossible.

And yet defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ unit did just that, receiving all the praise and admiration they deserve after the game.

“I thought DeMeco did a hell of a job mixing it up,” Shanahan said Monday night. “I mean, you can’t stick with one thing versus a team like that, versus a quarterback like that, and he mixed it up throughout the game, so I’m excited to sit here and watch it in a sec.”

Ryans’ defense is at the top of the statistics as well, now first in points allowed this season. San Francisco is also tied for first in total defense, second in passing yards allowed, and second in rushing yards allowed too.

It’s really going to suck when DeMeco Ryans is a head coach next season.

He’s the #49ers best coach

— Sterling Bennett (@49ers_Access) October 4, 2022

With elite game-wreckers on that side of the ball, the 49ers’ best duo has been Hufanga and fellow safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. through the first four weeks. Only joining the team in mid-August due to Safety Jimmie Ward’s injury, “Gip” has been not only a mentor for his younger counterpart but has also lighted a spark across the team.

“Honestly Gip just got here I think a month, maybe five weeks [ago] and his first week in I was like, ‘Man, this guy has such a knack for the ball, a knack for the game.’ And I’m so young and I got a knack for just bringing energy. And so I kind of always think like when he brings the knowledge and I can bring the energy and we just go out there and just have fun,” Hufanga explained. “So we’re contagious when we just feed off each other and it’s just been a pleasure to have been right by his side.”

The 49ers have some good news on the horizon as well, with Ward and cornerback Jason Verrett expected to return to practice this week. An elite defense with more pieces to add? That sounds frightening for the rest of the league.

Pressures last night….

Nick Bosa: 14
Rams whole team: 5

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 4, 2022

“I think it’s the best in the league… All three levels is elite players. The addition of [CB] Charvarius [Ward] and Huf playing at this level and obviously we’re going to get Jimmie and Verrett back, which is pretty scary,” defensive end Nick Bosa said after the game.

An Offense With Playmakers

All eyes were on the offense of the Red & Gold Monday night after a disastrous showing in Week 3 at Denver, posting only 10 points in a game that was won by a single point.

Nevertheless, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the offense turned it around against the Rams, getting two touchdowns in the first three quarters.

The first was on a zone run left wham, sealing off a lane for running back Jeff Wilson Jr. to scamper upfield for the 32-yard touchdown run. Seal blocks by tight end Charlie Woerner, and guards Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford created an impeccable hole for the veteran tailback, going virtually untouched to the endzone.

The second was to WR Deebo Samuel, snagging a high pass a few yards out before weaving through traffic to find the endzone 57 yards downfield. He broke a few tackles along the way, including a poor attempt by All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey.

Special player. 🔥@19problemz | #FTTB

📺: #LARvsSF on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/keYveuhX3P pic.twitter.com/ZssI32HII6

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2022

“Yeah, I don’t know what he was doing out there,” Samuel said with a chuckle postgame.

The game plan was clear from the start: Get the ball in the hands of your playmakers and let them go to work. And guess what, it worked.

Samuel finished with six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk had four catches for 37 yards and even Kittle added a little bit, ending the night with two catches for 24 yards. Garoppolo himself finished 16 for 27, 239 yards through the air with a touchdown as well.

The offense isn’t quite dialed in just yet, but Monday night was a big step in the right direction.

“Yeah, I think every week I’ll just keep feeling better and better. The shoulder’s just, it’s tough during the season to get it right, but we’ve got long season ahead of us, so hopefully every week it’ll get better and better,” Garoppolo said postgame.

A Merry-Go-Round in the Trenches

The war in the trenches was one of the keys to victory for the 49ers in Week 4, despite missing key plays on both sides of the ball.

With All-Pro LT Trent Williams out with a high ankle sprain, OT Colton McKivitiz stepped in a performed admirably, not allowing much pressure on his quarterback. Unfortunately, his night ended prematurely with a knee injury that later Shanahan stated could be an MCL issue.

49ers' 3 highest-graded offensive players (PFF) were exactly who you'd want the 3 highest-graded offensive players to be against the Rams:

1. Jimmy Garoppolo: 87.5
2. Deebo Samuel: 81.5
3. Colton McKivitz: 72.8

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 4, 2022

Down to their third-string tackle, Jaylon Moore came in and performed just as well, holding up a clean sheet in place of McKivitz and Williams. The 49ers only allowed five pressures Monday night, a testament to their work containing All-Pro DT Aaron Donald.

On the right side of the line, San Francisco had a combination of Burford and fellow guard Daniel Brunskill subbing in and out for one another. This was the latter’s first game back for the team after sustaining a significant hamstring injury during the preseason.

“Yeah, Brunskill just got back for the first time in about a month. He’s done real good versus these guys. Spencer’s done a hell of a job too here in this month, but we planned on mixing him in there a little bit just so he didn’t have to take too many reps, but I’m not sure how it ended up,” Shanahan said.

Defensively, the Red & Gold had absentees in the trenches as well, Javon Kinlaw being the biggest. Coming into Monday, the third-year defensive tackle had been dealing with irritation in his surgically repaired knee during the week. Testing it out pregame, the coaching staff made the decision to hold him out for Week 4 in order to not risk another serious injury.

On the flip side, captain Arik Armstead suited up after missing Week 3 with plantar fasciitis. The Sacramento native finished with two tackles but was visibly hobbled throughout the game. He left the game in the fourth quarter with his foot bothering him.

With both starters out, who stepped up for the 49ers? Samson Ebukam, Charles Omeniheu, Kevin Givens. The three rotational linemen were a force against the Rams’ inferior offensive line, plowing through them all night long.

Omeniheu finished with two tackles, one sack, two QB hits, and one TFL. Givens did similar, with three tackles, one TFL, and one pass batted down. Ebukam was one of the stars of the night, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, one TFL, and one forced fumble against his former team.

The 49ers have 3 edge rushers ranking in the NFL's top-18 in pressures out of true pass sets (PFF). No other team can say that (Buffalo has 2)

1. Nick Bosa: 19
13. Charles Omenihu: 10
18. Samson Ebukam: 9

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 4, 2022

The Bay Area has been known for strength in numbers and the 49ers exhibited just that Monday night.

“We’ve had the same scheme for a number of years. We’ve had a lot of continuity with it,” Shanahan stated. “We lose a few and gain a few each year, but just the core with the linebackers, some key guys on the defensive line, [DB] Jimmie Ward’s been here for a while. I know he hasn’t been able to play this year and these two new safeties have stepped in. [CB Emmanuel Moseley] E-Man’s been here for a long time. Being able to add [CB Charvarius Ward] Mooney. Our coaching staff, we got a lot of continuity there. [Defensive coordinator] DeMeco [Ryans] has been here since day one. [Linebackers coach] Johnny Holland has been since day one. [Defensive line coach] Kris Kocurek came year three, so I would say it’s that.”

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