49ers offense has little margin for error with so many injuries to the defense

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The injuries that have hampered San Francisco’s defense have provided the offense with little margin for error if the 49ers want to have any success down the stretch of the season.

So when Jauan Jennings couldn’t secure a third-down catch and lost a fumble on the first two drives, and the 49ers were stopped on fourth-and-1 in the red zone on the next, they found themselves in a hole they couldn’t overcome. That led to a 42-26 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

“Our team is going have to rely on our really good veteran offense to score a lot of points and not turn the ball over,” tight end George Kittle said. “We didn’t really do that today. So, I think that’s going to be the case moving forward.”

The 49ers fell in a 21-0 hole when the defense missing Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams allowed three straight touchdown drives and the offense couldn’t convert.

The Niners went three and out on their opening possession when Jennings couldn’t catch Mac Jones’ pass on third down after getting hit — possibly too early — by Emmanuel Forbes Jr.

The Niners then moved the ball well the next two possessions, but Jennings lost a fumble after a catch at the Rams 26 on the second drive and Christian McCaffrey was stuffed on fourth-and-1 from the 11 on the next possession.

So even though Jones was able to lead four TD drives, San Francisco never had the ball down one score or less after the first drive of the game as the Rams scored TDs on their first three possessions of the second half.

Jones finished 33 for 39 for 319 yards with three TDs and one interception in another strong peformance in his eighth start of the season. How many more starts he gets remains an open question as starter Brock Purdy nears his return from a toe injury.

Purdy has practiced on a limited basis the past three weeks, but hasn’t been active for the games even though coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday that he probably could have been able to suit up as a backup.

Purdy initially hurt his toe in Week 1 and missed the next two games. He struggled in a Week 4 loss to Jacksonville when the injury got worse and he hasn’t played since, leading to questions about when the Niners’ $265 million quarterback will return.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he wants Purdy get through a full week of practice with the starters without setbacks before he returns.

“That’s kind of what we want to see, what we want to hear from him,” Shanahan said. “We want three aggressive practices and we want to make sure he feels good after all of them each day, too.”

What’s working

Pass blocking. San Francisco did a good job protecting Jones, allowing no sacks and only one QB hit against one of the better defensive fronts in the league.

What needs help

Red zone defense. The 49ers entered the week ranking eighth best, allowing TDs only 53.6% of red zone drives. They couldn’t stop the Rams at all. Los Angeles scored TDs on its first five trips to the red zone and then went into victory formation after crosssing the 20 on the last drive of the game.

Stock up

Brian Robinson. The backup running back again showed some good burst in limited action. He had eight carries for 41 yards and scored a TD for the second straight game. Robinson’s strong play the last two weeks could earn him some more playing time in coming weeks.

Stock down

Pass defense. The young secondary struggled against Matthew Stafford and the Rams, allowing 280 yards passing and four TDs in the game. The Niners got their hands on only three passes and again failed to get an interception. San Francisco ranks last in the NFL with just one INT this season.

Injuries

After a season filled with injuries, the 49ers had none to report from the game for a change.

“I’m still not totally believing it, Shanahan said. “I’m going to wait until Wednesday to make sure nothing creeps up.”

WR Ricky Pearsall is expected to return to practice Wednesday for the first time since injuring his knee in Week 4. … DT Alfred Collins (hip) will be re-evaluated Wednesday after missing the game. … WR Brandon Aiyuk won’t have his practice window opened this week as he works his way back from knee surgery last season.

Key stat

94.8 — The Niners are averaging less than 100 yards rushing per game through 10 games for the first time since 2010 and their 94.8 average is the lowest at this point of a season since 2007, when they averaged 84.3.

Next steps

The 49ers visit Arizona on Sunday looking for a season sweep.

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