In front of a national audience, the Los Angeles Rams lost in embarrassing fashion, 28-0, on Monday Night Football, as the San Francisco 49ers scored 14 unanswered points on each side of halftime.
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher was clearly agitated as the new LA Rams fell flat in a game that was meant to reignite the Southern California-Northern California rivalry. On this night, San Francisco claimed a convincing shutout victory and took the first round for the Northerners.
Prior to the opening kickoff, Niners backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid once again kneeled during the national anthem before the game. Kaepernick has refused to stand for the anthem all season in protest of police brutality and racial oppression in the United States.
No other Niners players joined in the protest Monday night, although Rams defensive lineman Robert Quinn and receiver Kenny Britt held fists up during the anthem.
San Francisco got on the board in the first quarter, as running back Carlos Hyde drove the ball up the middle for the first points of the game. By halftime, the scoreboard read 14-0 for the home team. Hyde finished the game with 88 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams' defense appeared to catch its footing in the third quarter and held San Francisco scoreless for the period, but LA's offense never found any rhythm. Rams starting quarterback Case Keenum finished the night with two interceptions, no touchdowns and less than a 50 percent completion ratio. Keenum's second interception arrived at a particularly crucial point when the Rams appeared to be driving deep into San Francisco territory in the third quarter. A touchdown at that point would have made the contest a one-possession game.
Instead, the interception led to a San Francisco touchdown and a 21-0 deficit. The game effectively ended at that point. A fan ran 100 yards on the field in the fourth quarter, providing a little excitement in the otherwise rough game.
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Also, Aaron Donald, who is considered one of the stars of the team, was ejected from the game after taking Quinton Patton by the neck and smacking his helmet off his head in the fourth quarter. Clearly, frustrations got the better of Donald.
The 49ers would score again before the game ended, as the Rams had a night to forget. The LA Rams still have not scored any points since 1994. Next, LA will play its first home game at the LA Coliseum in over 20 years, when the Rams host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 18.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
