The fourth week of the NFL’s 2022 season closed on Monday night with the league’s best defense smothering last season’s Super Bowl champion as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-9.
Under the direction of coordinator DeMeco Ryans, a former Jess Lanier High School and Alabama standout, the 49ers’ defense limited the Rams to 257 yards and three field goals, sacked Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford seven times and came up with two fourth-quarter takeaways, including one that turned into a touchdown.
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San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown with 6:27 left to play to set the final score. In NFL history, only Brett Favre, with 32, has thrown more pick-sixes than Stafford, who is tied with Dan Marino and former Alabama star Joe Namath for second with 28.
San Francisco has allowed 46 points this season – 12 fewer than any other team. The Rams’ longest play gained 18 yards as for the first time in 15 years Los Angeles failed to have at least one 20-yard gain in a game.
San Francisco got more than one-quarter of its offensive output of 327 yards on its two touchdown plays – a 32-yard dash by running back Jeff Wilson as the 49ers went up 7-3 with 2:46 left in the first quarter and a 57-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Deebo Samuel that put San Francisco ahead 14-6 with 2:46 remaining in the first half.
The 49ers did not lose a turnover, and San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was not sacked as Los Angeles registered only one quarterback hit in the game.
Two players from Alabama high schools and colleges played in the Los Angeles-San Francisco game:
· Rams offensive tackle Chandler Brewer (Florence) dressed for the game but did not play. Los Angeles had elevated Brewer from its practice squad to make him eligible for Monday night’s game. Brewer played in seven games as a rookie in 2019, but he hasn’t played in an NFL regular-season game since Dec. 29, 2019. Brewer also was on the Rams’ practice squad in the previous two seasons.
· Rams outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (Alabama) played but did not record any stats.
· Forty-Niners tight end Jordan Matthews (Madison Academy) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· A’Shawn Robinson (Alabama) started at defensive end for the Rams. Robinson made two tackles.
· Forty-Niners safety Jimmie Ward (Davidson) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
San Francisco’s victory left every team in the NFC West with the same record, with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks joining the 49ers and Rams at 2-2.
On Sunday, San Francisco visits the Carolina Panthers at 3:05 p.m. CDT and Los Angeles hosts the Dallas Cowboys at 3:25 p.m.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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