In a rain-soaked Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the Rams took home all the points in a tightly-contested slugfest, edging the 49ers, 12-6. The game was a low-scoring affair, with both defenses dominating and offenses struggling to find any rhythm. The 49ers’ offense, in particular, was dismal.
Purdy couldn’t connect with his wideouts, throwing an ugly interception while their run game struggled yet again.
The offensive line failed to protect their QB, with Purdy taking sacks and pressures all night long. However, the result could have been entirely different if Deebo Samuel had caught the ball when the 49ers were gaining momentum.
Shannon Sharpe, during the latest episode of The Nightcap podcast, blamed Deebo for the drop, stating that his failure to catch the ball cost the Niners a possible TD:
“Purdy was spraying the ball over the field. But he did have an opportunity to get a TD and Deebo dropped it. He anticipated the scene and he had his mind on probably scoring a TD and he just flat-out dropped it. Dropped a Touchdown. There is no other way around it.”
Had he caught the ball, it would have been an easy first down—or potentially much more—because he was wide open. Facing a crucial 3rd-and-10 in the third quarter from the 30-yard line, Purdy targeted Deebo at the 20-yard line. Deebo was just a few yards shy of the first down marker, and with the entire left side of the field wide open, he had a clear path toward the end zone.
Unfortunately, the ball slipped through his hands, forcing the 49ers to settle for a field goal on that drive.
Sharpe didn’t hold back, criticizing Deebo Samuel for his recent complaining on social media about not getting enough targets. Sharpe pointed out the irony, calling Samuel’s behavior “foolish” after dropping a potential touchdown following all his complaining.
This was the Niners’ eighth loss of the season. They haven’t had this many losses since 2020 when they finished 6-10 at the bottom of the NFC West, which is where they are likely to finish this season. Their playoff hopes are all but over, with less than a 1% chance of making the postseason.
2024-12-13 06:09:02