Football
The San Francisco 49ers ended Day 4 of the National Football League (NFL) with a prestigious win. The five-time Super Bowl champion defeated the current defending champion Los Angeles Rams 24: 9 (14: 6) on Monday evening (local time) and thus took the lead in the balanced Western Division of the National Football Conference (NFC). The Rams’ offensive in particular was shut down by the 49ers that evening.
The offensive of the guests from Los Angeles around quarterback Matthew Stafford and final MVP Cooper Kupp did not have their own touchdown. Kicker Matt Gay was solely responsible for the points. The 49ers also managed a successful revenge for the NFL semifinals last season. At that time, the Rams had beaten their division rivals at home in the NFC Championship Game by a narrow 20:17 on their way to the title.
For the 49ers, however, Jeff Wilson with a 32-yard run, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with a pass to Deebo Samuel, and defenseman Talanoa Hufanga with an interception carried back to the end zone with touchdowns made the stats. In addition, kicker Robbie Gould safely sunk a field goal from 25 yards away.
Deebo’s touchdown was also the highlight of the game. Because the 26-year-old not only acrobatically fished a relatively short pass from Garoppolo out of the air, but then danced the Rams defense over 57 yards on his way to the end zone. “It was just me and the ball out there,” Deebo described his feat against his favorite opponent. In eight duels with the Rams so far, the receiver has scored seven touchdowns as a catcher or runner and even threw a touchdown pass himself.
Balanced division
With the second win of the season, the 49ers also ensured a balanced situation in the NFC West. Because both San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as the Arizona Cardinals (26:16 with the Carolina Panthers) and Seattle Seahawks (48:45 with the Detroit Lions) hold after four games with a record of two wins and two losses – a unique in the current season.