49ers report card: Grading offense, defense in 39-10 loss to Rams

SANTA CLARA -- OK, it's difficult to argue with the NFL’s decision to demote the 49ers from prime-time TV after watching this performance.

The 49ers were expected to be one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams after finishing last season on a five-game win streak. But on Sunday, the 49ers’ losing streak reached five games with a 39-10 loss to the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium.

The game originally was scheduled to air Sunday night on NBC. The 49ers were bumped from that time slot in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs-Cincinnati Bengals game.

It wasn't pretty, folks. It certainly wasn't an impressive performance in front of nearly 70 former 49ers who showed up for alumni weekend festivities, including the unveiling of Dwight Clark and Joe Montana statues to commemorate “The Catch.”

Here are the 49ers’ grades from the unsightly loss to the Rams:

Rushing offense

Raheem Mostert had his second impressive showing in a row, rushing for 59 yards on seven carries, but the team’s other two running backs struggled.

Matt Breida started and aggravated a left ankle injury on his first carry of the game. When he returned, he lost a fumble. Breida gained just 15 yards on five carries. Alfred Morris averaged just 2.8 yards, gaining 25 yards on nine tries.

Grade: D

Passing offense

Quarterback C.J. Beathard was sacked seven times. He also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. The 49ers’ wide receivers were non-existent, managing just four receptions on nine targets.

Tight end George Kittle had a good game with five catches for 98 yards, but the 49ers were awful in every other area of their passing game. The pass protection wasn't good, and Beathard struggled accordingly.

Grade: F

Rushing defense

Rams running back Todd Gurley, who entered as the NFL’s leading rusher, scored two touchdowns, but he wasn't a huge factor in the game. He gained 63 yards on 15 carries, so the 49ers’ run defense did a commendable job.

The Rams led for most of the game and were able to stick with the run game. L.A. gained 146 yards on 35 carries.

Grade: C

Passing defense

Rams quarterback Jared Goff was very efficient, completing 18 of 24 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers didn't get much pressure on him, and they didn't take advantage of some opportunities to generate turnovers. Safety Jaquiski Tartt failed to hold onto what could have been a big interception early in the game.

The 49ers played without injured starting cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jimmie Ward.

Grade: D-plus

Special teams

The 49ers had a punt blocked for the first time since the 2014 season. The ball rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety. The Rams capitalized with a field goal on the ensuing free kick, making it a five-point play.

Kicker Robbie Gould made a 51-yard field goal, and Mark Nzeocha got his hands on a Rams punt late in the game.

Grade: D

Overall

Once again, it was a story of turnovers. The 49ers committed four and didn't generate any takeaways. But there was a lot more than just turnovers that led to this 29-point drubbing. The offense was disjointed after looking sharp just six days earlier against the Packers.

The 49ers now have lost five consecutive games, but this game was different. The 49ers were not in this game. The Rams, right now, are the best team in football. But this was an ugly 49ers performance.

Grade: F