San Francisco 49ers: 3 Big takeaways from loss vs. Rams in Week 7

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SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 21: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Donald enjoys destructive afternoon

Aside from the tunrovers, the primary reason why San Francisco’s offense struggled so mightily was the dominant performance of Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald was a wrecking ball against a 49ers offensive line that has been much improved this season. In addition to his fumble, Donald registered four sacks, five quarterback hits and six tackles for loss.

A quarterback in Beathard whose pocket presence is inconsistent at best going up against a player of Donald’s ability in that kind of form is a recipe for the nightmare day on offense the 49ers endured. The one saving grace for San Francisco is that, when the Niners face the Rams again in Week 17, Los Angeles could well be resting starters like Donald.

Kittle continues breakout season

The 49ers best offensive weapon was their biggest bright spot on a dreadful day as tight end George Kittle continued his excellent breakout campaign. After a down game against Green Bay, Kittle rebounded to lead the Niners with five catches for 98 yards and scored San Francisco’s only touchdown.

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It was another performance where Kittle demonstrated his ability after the catch, and he now was 527 yards on the season, putting him on pace for over 1,200. Should he maintain this level, Kittle will surely be seen as one of the game’s elite tight ends at the end of the season.