49ers notebook: George Kittle wasn’t going to miss his shot at the Rams
There was no chance George Kittle was going to miss a return to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a shot at revenge against the Rams.
“This is a game I’ve had on my calendar for a year,” Kittle said Sunday. “I haven’t liked the way we’ve played against them the past two years. This is a ‘dub’ (win) that we needed to get.”
Win is what the 49ers did, pasting the reigning NFC Champions 20-7 on the strength of a defense that allowed just 157 yards over four quarters. That’s after the Rams beat San Francisco in both their matchups last year while outscoring them 87-42.
San Francisco’s defense carried the water Sunday, but the offense remained vital.
The 49ers wouldn’t have won their first divisional game without controlling the clock and scoring points. They had a 37:43-22:17 advantage in time of possession.
The challenge, of course, was being without starting tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk, leaving the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense in a difficult position without three vital blockers.
Losing Kittle might have been impossible to overcome. He sustained a groin injury during practice Friday that left him as a game-time decision for Sunday. Coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if he became concerned his star tight end would miss the game.
“I definitely did,” he said. “Something happened in practice that he was nervous about. Usually when I ask Kittle if he’s hurting, he always tells me no. So when he was in a little bit of pain, definitely had some concern, and it was legit. I think you could see that in the game when it started to bother him as the game went, but he was able to finish it for the most part.”
Kittle has become almost as important as Juszczyk in the running game. His value as a receiving threat remains obvious. He had a season-high eight catches (on eight targets) for 103 yards, including a tone-setting 45-yard catch and run in the second quarter.
“That was fun,” Kittle said.
Kittle was asked if he notices cornerbacks avoid trying to tackle him, like Marcus Peters did on a long reception.
“They take creative angles,” he said. “Creative angles (are) my favorite thing.”
Added quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo: “George is one of those guys where if you give him the ball in space, he’s going to make guys miss. He’s going to make big plays for you. You know, you give the play maker the ball and let them go to work.”
Garoppolo was mostly sharp, save for a couple turnovers and one throw he might have wished was more accurate. He was 24 of 33 (73 percent) for 243 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown, missing on two opportunities near the goal line. The first was an interception to Peters while looking for Kittle in the second quarter. The second was a third-quarter miss in the right flat to a wide-open Tevin Coleman, who could have walked into the end zone without a defensive player within five yards.
Overall, San Francisco’s offensive effort was a slog against the Rams, who were packing the box and daring the 49ers to win with deep plays. Shanahan instead dialed up a game plan focused on short passes with a slew of screen plays, and sticking with the run even it wasn’t particularly effective.
The 49ers ran for 99 yards on 41 attempts. Their 2.4-yard average wasn’t good in comparison to their 6.9-yard clip in their 31-3 blowout of the Cleveland Browns on Monday. They entered the weekend atop the league in rushing attempts per game. They weren’t going to deviate from their game plan, even without key players while knowing L.A. was doing all it could to slow the rushing attack.
“Some of the stuff that they were playing us, just trying to stop the run, that could get frustrating for receivers and stuff because you want to throw it but you’ve got to be smart, too,” Shanahan said. “We’ve got a team that’s not just trying to get stats, we are trying to figure out how to try to win the game. I think it makes it easier for our receivers when they understand all the stuff that goes into it. They block their tails off, help to stick with their run, and if the defense plays like that, it’s an easy way to win.”
Receiver Dante Pettis had his best game of the season, logging three catches for 45 yards. One 19-yarder set up Coleman’s 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Another 21-yard grab got San Francisco to the 2-yard line, which is when Garoppolo missed an open Coleman on third down.
Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill, starting in place of Staley and McGlinchey, seemed to hold their own, though they weren’t as productive as the starters they replaced. Skule allowed a sack to Aaron Donald on the first third down of the game — and Donald stripped Garoppolo in the third quarter while rushing along the inside.
Despite starting first-year players at key positions, Kittle remained confident the coaching staff had a strong plan in place.
“It was actually one of our easier game plans,” Kittle said. “Not all the tricks and stuff like we usually do with stuff like that. I have to give it to Ross Dwelley for being able to step in there at fullback. He was incredible. ... I think we did a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage — 4.4 yards per play I think is what we had, it’s better than the (3.1) that they had.”
49ers play through injuries
Kittle wasn’t the only player who dealt with pain Sunday. Slot receiver K’Waun Williams was in and out of the game with an undisclosed injury starting on the first series. Receiver Marquise Goodwin appeared hobbled at one point in the third quarter. Fellow wideout Deebo Samuel left the game in the fourth with an apparent quad injury.
Finally, cornerback Richard Sherman exited the game in the third quarter to have his right arm and shoulder area examined in the blue medical tent on the sideline. He emerged, flexing his right and hand without a helmet, indicating his day was over, only to return a few moments later when the Rams were in 49ers’ territory.
Sherman spoke to the media afterward, indicating the injury isn’t considered serious. All the injured players will undergo further testing Monday.
This story was originally published October 13, 2019 at 8:04 PM.
