Rams vs. 49ers: Score and Twitter Reaction for Monday Night Football

It was the Los Angeles Rams that took the field Monday night at Levi's Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers, but they still looked like the version from St. Louis that hasn't made the playoffs since the 2004 season.

San Francisco's defense shut down the Los Angeles attack for the entire game and moved to 1-0 with a 28-0 victory. The Rams had 13 possessions Monday (not counting the final kneel down), and 10 of them ended in punts. The others resulted in two interceptions and a turnover on downs, as the 49ers dictated the tempo with their physical style of play.

Superstar running back Todd Gurley was largely a nonfactor for Los Angeles with 47 rushing yards behind a 2.8 yards-per-carry average. Quarterback Case Keenum finished 17-of-35 for 130 passing yards and two interceptions and didn't inspire much confidence with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff on the sideline.

The NFL on ESPN reminded fans it's been a long time since the Los Angeles Rams scored a point:

It wasn't just the Los Angeles offense that struggled, as defensive tackle Aaron Donald was ejected in the fourth quarter for making contact with an official, per Steve Wyche of NFL Network.

Donald and the rest of the Rams failed to contain Carlos Hyde, who tallied 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert managed the game with 170 passing yards and one touchdown throw. He also added 43 yards on the ground and moved the sticks with his dual-threat abilities.

One of Monday's primary storylines played out before kickoff, as 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick continued his protest of the way people of color are treated in the United States, by taking a knee alongside teammate Eric Reid during the national anthem. Darren Rovell of ESPN passed along an image of the two before the contest:

The start of the game between the two teams that combined to go 12-20 last year was much less notable. The first three possessions ended in punts before Gabbert used his arm and legs to put the 49ers in scoring position. Hyde finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to put San Francisco ahead, 7-0.

NFL Network shared the play and praised San Francisco's blocking to set up the score:

It appeared as if the 49ers would add to their lead early in the second quarter, but they failed to convert a 4th-and-1 from Los Angeles' 34-yard line. Gabbert threw low to Torrey Smith behind the line of scrimmage, and the Rams swarmed the receiver before he had a chance at the first down.

However, San Francisco's defense refused to allow a momentum switch. NaVorro Bowman picked off a tipped pass one play after Los Angeles converted a fourth down of its own. The linebacker trapped the ball in between his legs and didn't let it hit the ground, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com described:

The 49ers parlayed the turnover into another touchdown when Shaun Draughn scampered in from three yards out to put the home team up, 14-0. San Francisco's rushing attack, much of which came from Gabbert, proved to be too much for Los Angeles' front seven in the first half.

The defense did its part as well and took the 14-point advantage into the halftime locker room. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out the 49ers weren't accustomed to such a commanding lead:

Each offense struggled early in the third quarter, and the result was a period of almost nothing but punts. The two teams combined for seven punts on the first seven possessions of the second half, leading Will Brinson of CBSSports.com to tweet, "This game is the ultimate 'are you excited football is back' test."

The NFL on ESPN illustrated just how much trouble Los Angeles had moving the football, and that was before it punted yet again on its 10th possession of the game:

Fittingly, the Rams received their first burst of the second half on a punt. Tavon Austin returned the seventh one of the third quarter to the 49ers' 38-yard line, but the offense couldn't take advantage when Keenum threw an interception into the waiting arms of Ray-Ray Armstrong.

It ended the Rams' best scoring chance of the game to that point and let the 49ers take their seemingly overwhelming two-score lead into the final quarter. Marc Sessler of NFL.com put the offensive struggles into perspective with Kaepernick and Goff watching from the bench:

The Rams' backs were against the wall facing a 14-0 deficit, and San Francisco put the game away when it converted the Armstrong interception into a touchdown and 21-0 lead. Gabbert found tight end Vance McDonald for an eight-yard score, and things looked rather bleak for Los Angeles:

Los Angeles was forced to punt again on the ensuing possession, but there was at least some excitement when a fan ran on the field. J.A. Adande of ESPN.com wondered if the fan finished with more yardage than the Rams offense.

Westwood One broadcaster Kevin Harlan called it "the most exciting thing to happen tonight" in a passionate description of the action as the "goofball" ran on the field, per Dieter Kurtenbach of Fox Sports. 

It was then the Rams defense's turn to melt down on San Francisco's next possession. There was a scuffle after a Gabbert run, and Donald was ejected after he "contacted [the] ref and shoved Quinton Patton to get two penalties," per Nick Wagoner of ESPN's NFL Nation. SportsCenter shared some images from the incident, while Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times described the aftermath:

Hyde made the Rams pay with a one-yard touchdown run shortly after the penalty to make the final score look even worse for the visitors.

What's Next?

The Rams will officially usher in a new era with their first regular-season game in Los Angeles against the division rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. While it is far too early to start consistently checking the standings, losing two straight games against NFC West foes would put Los Angeles in a deep hole and cut into its chances at surprising this season.

As for the 49ers, they hit the road for the first time this year to face the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers.

Carolina is coming off a narrow 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos in a Super Bowl rematch and is looking to bounce back against San Francisco. While the 49ers defense looked rather stout against Keenum and the Rams, things will likely be much more difficult against defending NFL MVP Cam Newton.   

Postgame Reaction

Rams coach Jeff Fisher indicated Keenum’s poor performance does not mean he will suddenly give the reins to Goff, per Lakisha Jackson of NFL.com.

“This doesn’t change anything as far as quarterbacks are concerned,” he said.

Donald addressed his ejection after the game and said, “I let my emotions get the best of me. No excuses,” per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com.

San Francisco coach Chip Kelly was complimentary of his signal-caller, per the team: “I thought Blaine did a nice job. He was very efficient and kept drives alive with his feet.”

He also praised the defensive effort, which resulted in a shutout, per the Niners on Twitter: “The credit goes to our defense and our defensive staff. They did a very nice job; it's something for us to build on.”

Bowman pointed out the “defense had to carry the weight this week, and I think we did that,” per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.