3 winners and 3 losers from Rams' soul-crushing loss to 49ers in Week 5

The 3-2 Los Angeles Rams are reeling after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers — perhaps one of the most torturous forms of defeat known in the NFL. It was a game of calamity, controversy (looking at you, refs), and collapse. The score was close. The outcome wasn’t.

Day-after reactions will vary among fans, and they should. But there was a rapid undertow to this game that may not have bubbled up to the surface like a devastating tsunami wave crashing onto the beach, but it was strong enough to suck the hope and optimism out of the team and its fanbase. It was a loss. But it was a loss to the 49ers.

The smoking rubble may not appear to be a barren wasteland, but the three wins by LA came at the hands of AFC South opponents. This team is now 0-2 in the NFC, a fact that won’t change until November at the earliest. With 10 days to mull over the contributors to this one, it was challenging trying to whittle it all down to a digestible size.

3 winners and 3 losers from Rams' devastating loss to 49ers

It’s tough to see the good in a loss like this, where any bright pockets of success were buried beneath the realization that what should have been enough simply wasn’t. But it’s still just one game, and often the best lessons come from the worst failures. So what can be learned from a collapse this costly?

Loser No. 3 - Placekicker protection is appalling

It’s hard to look past leaving four points on the field in a three-point loss. While there’s no guarantee on a 53-yard field goal, LA certainly needed it from kicker Joshua Karty. Had he made either that kick or the extra point that was blocked, overtime never happens. The Eagles laid the blueprint for blocking kicks, and the Rams still haven’t fixed it.

Loser No. 2 - Ball insecurity from running backs

No matter the odds or the injuries, no team is likely to win a game when losing the turnover battle by two. The entire game shifted on the fumbles from Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. It continues to highlight the team’s insistence on smallish backs. They work in most games. But against physical, playoff-built defenses, they don’t. Yet the team keeps ending up in the same spot.

Loser No. 1 - Head coach Sean McVay

There are many things to love about Sean McVay. He is infinitely confident in his team, despite all the evidence to the contrary. But his decision-making process has flaws, and those flaws seem to surface in the battle of wits when confronting his friend, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. The Rams deferred kicking off in overtime. The Rams opted to try running for a first down rather than kick a game-tying field goal. The team made just four of ten third-down conversions. It doesn’t happen often, but McVay entered this one with a suspect game plan.

Winner No. 3 - Rams run defense

Okay, not all hope is lost. One of the major objectives of the team in the offseason was bolstering the run defense, and while results are early, the trend is proving that the front office did so. The defense is averaging just 93.6 rushing yards per game, good enough for seventh place in the NFL. That works out to a 28 percent improvement over last year. That will play a larger role as the weather cools off and offenses turn to the run more frequently.

Winner No. 2 - QB Matthew Stafford

The season has been powered by the most unlikely of players, a resurgent veteran quarterback named Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old was projected to struggle this year, perhaps to the point of retirement. Instead, he is exploding for a season that may end up his best year in horns yet. He threw for 389 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in a game against a formidable defense.

Winner No. 1 - Rams wide receivers

The offense effectively deployed four wide receivers in this one. All of the wide receivers used in Week 5 had multiple receptions and combined for 278 of the team’s 389 receiving yards. Of course, the team continued to target Davante Adams and Puka Nacua most often, combining for 15 of 23 catches for 173 receiving yards and one touchdown. But Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell were productive in this one as well.

Losing stinks, and losing to San Francisco is particularly pungent. All the stars aligned before the game, creating the illusion of a winnable game. But like all mirages, the image vanished upon closer inspection. The team has foundational weaknesses that the 49ers easily exposed. Now the team has to respond accordingly.

As always, thanks for reading.