press and others on the 49ers game

Jared Goff keeps making mistakes, and Sean McVay is calling him out

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2227446/2020/11/29/jared-goff-sean-mcvay-turnovers/

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sean McVay bubbled with rage at the podium Sunday after a 23-20 loss to San Francisco, the Rams’ first loss in their new stadium and their fourth consecutive loss to their division rivals from up the freeway.

It isn’t just that the Rams lost.

It’s how they lost.

The Rams turned the ball over four times. Quarterback Jared Goff was responsible for three, throwing his ninth and 10th interceptions of the year — a second straight game in which he’s thrown two picks — and coughing up a fumble, his seventh of the year and the fifth he has lost.

“Our quarterback has got to take better care of the football,” McVay practically spat, in what was perhaps his most blunt public criticism of one of his players — especially his franchise quarterback.

Maybe that’s because it wasn’t just the fact that Goff turned the ball over. It’s how he turned it over.

One interception went for an all-too-easy touchdown return on the second play of the second half, and gave the 49ers a 14-3 lead. Another, in the first quarter, went directly to veteran cornerback Richard Sherman, so naturally that it seemed Sherman — and not Robert Woods — was the intended receiver. The fumble happened in the second quarter when Goff elected to run with the ball, barreling into a defender instead of sliding down safely with the ball tucked to his chest.

“Too many times, we beat ourselves,” McVay said. “And we just have to play better. We’re not taking good enough care of the football and that’s something that has got to change. Otherwise, I’m going to continue to sit up here and say this week in and week out. It just can’t continue to happen.”

He already is doing that, though. “Week in and week out.” In his last four games, Goff has thrown six interceptions and lost four fumbles.

Even when Goff has played well in problematic phases this season, like in a comeback effort in Buffalo, or when executing extremely well against blitz pressure over the last two weeks, it’s hardly been a totally clean effort. Never has there been a moment this year to really unclench, because of the turnovers. Take last week at Tampa Bay: Goff’s play success rate against the blitz was 80 percent, nearly double what it was three weeks earlier in a catastrophic loss to Miami and its Cover-0 defense. Even so, Goff threw two interceptions.

It’s just not enough to perform well in some areas and come undone in others.

Goff knows it.

“At the end of the day, (the turnovers) need to be eliminated,” Goff said postgame, agreeing with McVay’s comments that he needs to take better care of the football. “I don’t think that there’s one thing that needs to stop. (I) just need to be smarter with the ball and (have) better decision-making. That’s part of my job.

“I may be good at other parts of the job right now, but that’s the main part. That’s something I need to be a lot better at.”

Sunday, the Rams reverted to what has become their pattern: Hand the game away multiple times on offense, then hope and pray that their defense can do something superhuman to save them.

The defense, led by All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, almost did it, too — and in stunning fashion.

Donald had a hand in wrecking several 49ers plays, including a batted ball in the first quarter that was intercepted by rookie safety Jordan Fuller (his third in two games). In the third quarter, Donald blew up a Raheem Mostert carry and stripped the ball. Cornerback Troy Hill scooped up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown — the first Rams touchdown of the day, which narrowed the 49ers’ lead to 17-13.

Donald sacked 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens for a loss of eight yards on the first play of the next series, which set up a three-and-out punt.

Even Aaron Donald’s extraordinary play couldn’t lift the Rams to victory. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)
The Rams then took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter on a three-play, 68-yard drive, all of which came from rookie running back Cam Akers. On the next series, Rams defensive lineman Morgan Fox sacked Mullens for an 11-yard loss on third down, and the Rams got the ball back with almost 12 minutes left. The game was theirs to take.

But the offense failed to put together a scoring drive — no, not even a field goal — on its final two series. Meanwhile, the 49ers kicked two field goals to ultimately tie the game, and then squeak away with the win. Robbie Gould hit the game-winning 42-yarder as time expired.

“Football is a game of momentum,” receiver Cooper Kupp said. “How well you can respond to the upswings, and also, how well you can respond to the downswings. There’s going to be that — regardless of whether it’s a turnover or a bad play, it happens in football. We have to do a better job of responding. I think there is a natural human element to feeling like you have to adjust your game plan (after a turnover), or do something different. We’re at our best when we’re able to play freely and do what we know we can. … We have to find ways to make that a week-in, week-out, day-in, day-out thing.

“It is tough, in the middle of games, when you’re trying to get something going and you just can’t quite get over that hump, to be able to try to find that energy and have someone be able to make a play for you. … We were able to do that for a little bit there at the end of the game, but it’s just way too late to have something like that, to get into that lull.”

A few pundits said the Rams could be a Super Bowl team after consecutive wins over Seattle and Tampa Bay, two of the toughest opponents they’ll face all year.

They won’t be if they can’t beat the teams they’re supposed to beat, including a 49ers team riddled with injuries and players on the COVID-19 list.

They won’t be if they keep making the same mistakes and expecting different results.

They won’t be if this offense opens up too many leaks and takes on too much water for the defense to frantically plug up. Donald and others on the Rams’ defense are extraordinary — even superhuman at times — but expecting them to save the day every time is not a sustainable model for success.

The Rams will not be a Super Bowl team if potential on either side of the ball is wasted by a few poor decisions … every … single … game. Kupp said the offense operates at its best as a function of the whole. It finds its rhythm when all players, including the quarterback, execute their specific roles at the same time — much as fingers fold into a fist before a swing.

Try punching something with that fist if one finger is sticking out the wrong way. The finger breaks, and the entire hand becomes useless.

So now, the Rams are playing a game of offensive whack-a-mole: Hammer out a problem, and a new one presents itself the next week. And the Rams are running out of time to exorcise this troubling facet of their identity.

McVay, speaking about the things he and Goff will work to fix, in hopes of cleaning up the turnovers, said: “It might be keeping two hands on the ball. It might be understanding that if someone is swarming around you, you can’t just throw it away when you don’t see where you’re going. Being able to trust your guys to be able to separate. Overall, any time you turn it over as many times as we did — as he did — it’s just got to be better. And he’s capable of it, but we’ve got to be able to get it done.”

McVay doesn’t ask Goff to execute outside of himself. For McVay’s offense to be successful — even explosive — his quarterback is only asked to be consistent.

Right now, it’s not about Goff’s potential ceiling. Instead, as the coach and quarterback continue their partnership through the crucial years of Goff’s long-term development, the two need to honestly ask themselves: What is Goff’s floor?

That’s where the fixes actually start.

unclesams

This game is on McVay. With 3 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game and you have the ball at your 25 yd line, he did some horrible play calling by not trying to work your way down the field and run the clock. Throwing a 30 yd pass on 3rd and 5 was just inexcusable. Several of these losses that we are racking up from sub par teams is basically on McVay by stupid play calling.

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PFF ReFocused: San Francisco 49ers 23, Los Angeles Rams 20

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2020-week-12-pff-refocused-san-francisco-49ers-23-los-angeles-rams-20

With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and star tight end George Kittle out due to injuries, the San Francisco 49ers found a way to knock off the division-leading Los Angeles Rams for the second time this season, 23-20.

Both teams did their best to hand the other a victory, with the Rams throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles and the 49ers owning an interception and two lost fumbles themselves.

STORY OF THE GAME

Nick Mullens started for the fifth time this season and struggled outside of play-action, completing just 62% of his passes for 5.3 yards per attempt with an interception and no TDs. Mullens connected on all six of his play-action attempts for 99 yards, which makes you wonder why head coach Kyle Shanahan did not lean on it more.

Raheem Mostert, fresh off of injured reserve, resumed his bell cow role, taking his 16 carries for 43 yards and touchdown. Jeff Wilson Jr. was also heavily involved, gaining 43 yards on 12 attempts. Neither back was exceptional and both fumbled once against the Rams’ strong front seven.

The offense revolved around second-year receiver Deebo Samuel, who saw a career-high 13 targets. He hauled in 11 receptions for 134 yards but was unable to reach the end zone. Samuel was absolutely electric — he forced seven missed tackles, and four of his catches went for 15-plus yards. The Rams as a team only forced six missed tackles and had two passing plays of 15-plus yards.

Richard Sherman saw his first live action since his Week 2 injury and did not disappoint. Jared Goff threw his way five times, but Sherman allowed just three to be caught for 49 yards while snatching an interception.

Speaking of Goff, it was an outing he will want to quickly forget. Like Mullens, he couldn’t find the end zone through the air and missed consistently on passes 10-plus yards downfield. On such throws, he completed just one of seven attempts for 30 scoreless yards and a costly interception.

Due to Goff’s struggles, only one receiver was able to reel in over 50 receiving yards. Robert Woods was his quarterback’s safety blanket, corralling seven passes for 80 yards, but he was only able to gain three first downs.

The ground game was similarly inefficient outside of second-round rookie running back Cam Akers, who had an impressive 61-yard scamper down to the goal line and eventually punched it in for a touchdown. He finished the bout with nine carries, 84 yards and the one score. Malcolm Brown handled only three rushing attempts for a measly 4 yards and lost a fumble, which resulted in Sean McVay sending him to the bench. Darrell Henderson was not stellar, either, carrying the ball 10 times for a paltry 19 yards.

Although both teams forfeited points off turnovers and could not keep drives going, the 49ers were able to improve to 5-6. The Rams are now 7-4 but have gone 3-4 outside of contests against the faltering NFC East.

ROOKIE WATCH

Outside of Akers, there were few rookies who took the field in this matchup. For the 49ers, fifth-round offensive lineman Colton McKivitz received his first start, and the lack of experience showed. He allowed two QB pressures and was being getting beaten by defenders on two more occasions when Mullens was able to release the football before they reached him.

First-round defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw fared much better, generating one pressure, nabbing three assisted tackles on seven snaps against the run and pulling down an interception that he took 27 yards to the house.

For the Rams, only safety Jordan Fuller saw significant snaps on either side of the ball. The 49ers made it a point to test him, throwing the ball five times into his coverage. He allowed four to be caught for 94 yards and four first downs. He missed two tackles but did grab a nice interception, saving the day from being completely awful.