49ers key moments: Three key plays that led to the Rams’ win (and one that kept it close)
1. Tartt’s missed interception
The 49ers defense began to make uncharacteristic mistakes it hadn’t throughout these playoffs. Matthew Stafford, with his team down 3 points early in the fourth quarter, threw a long pass intended for Van Jefferson. Safety Jaquiski Tartt was there to make what seemed to be an easy interception.
But Tartt closed his hands too early, perhaps thinking about the return before securing the catch, and the ball fell helplessly to the ground.
The next play, Stafford took another deep shot, this time to Odell Beckham Jr. along the left sideline. He had beaten cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who was playing zone coverage and allowed Beckham to get behind him. Stafford found Beckham, and free safety Jimmie Ward leveled him, helmet to helmet, as he was going to the ground.
It was a 15-yard penalty on top of the 29-yard gain, placing the ball at San Francisco’s 41-yard line. The Rams got as far as San Francisco’s 18, but had to settle for a 40-yard field goal to tie the game at 17.
The Rams went on to kick another field goal to take a 20-17 lead with 1:46 remaining after San Francisco went three-and-out in a wildly sloppy possession that included a delay of game and third down in which no one ran a route.
2. Garoppolo’s game-ending INT
The 49ers took over with 1:46 left and one timeout, needing just a field goal to tie the game. The drive started by Jimmy Garoppolo throwing a pass that was deflected and nearly intercepted by defensive lineman Greg Gaines, for his second tipped pass of the game.
The second play was a swing pass to Jauan Jennings that went for a 3-yard loss. And on the final play, Garoppolo was pressured, with a whole host of Rams in his face. He scrambled, tried to make something happen, and threw a backhanded pass to running back JaMycal Hasty. It was high, and and bounced off Hasty’s hand, and right to linebacker Travin Howard.
The Rams kneeled the game away, advancing to the Super Bowl, overcoming a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the 49ers for the first time in seven games.
It was likely the last pass that Garoppolo would throw in a 49ers uniform. Unfortunately, for San Francisco, it was fittingly an interception, while his penchant for turning the ball over was the reason the 49ers invested three first-round picks in Trey Lance, who will surely be the team’s starter in 2022.
3. 49ers stop early Rams drive
It came in the first quarter, with the Rams going on the first of three straight long drives in the first half. Matthew Stafford was going to his favorite target on third-down, all-world receiver Cooper Kupp, to his right. It was an in-breaking route.
Defensive back K’Waun Williams played it perfectly, getting a hand on the quick pass and deflecting it right to safety Jimmie Ward.
Ward, making his second interception of Stafford this season, and third overall, weaved through the Rams offense and returned it to the 23-yard line. It gave San Francisco the ball back while also preventing L.A. from having a scoring opportunity.
This story was originally published January 30, 2022 at 6:46 PM.
