There were plenty of surprises in Week 10 of the 2021 NFL regular season, but one of the more notable ones was the San Francisco 49ers‘ 31-10 dismantling of the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. It was an outcome not many were expecting, as the 49ers were dominated by the backups of the Arizona Cardinals just a week ago, and seemed ready to expand on their eight-game losing streak at home against one of the best teams in the NFL. That did not happen.
The 49ers ran the ball 44 times for 156 yards, the defense forced two turnovers, Deebo Samuel recorded a huge performance in the receiving game and Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdowns and just four incompletions. This was the 49ers team many were hoping to see this year, and after the game, Garoppolo said something very interesting about the outing.
“Honestly it felt pretty similar to the Super Bowl year,” Garoppolo said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “It felt like we ran the ball 30 times every time that year. When we can do that and be successful on third down, it’s a good recipe for us.”
Back in 2019, the 49ers made Super Bowl LIV with the fourth-best offense in the league and the second-best defense. The run game carried the offense, as Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman made up the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL. The defense was loaded, as three players recorded double-digit tackles for loss and Richard Sherman turned back the clock to be a leader in the secondary. Some of these players are no longer with the franchise, but Monday night’s win was truly reminiscent of the 2019 49ers. Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell ran hard all night, and finished with 91 yards on 27 carries, George Kittle stood out as both a receiver and blocker, and caught the first touchdown of the game while the defense held one of the best offenses to just 278 yards of total offense and one touchdown.
The 49ers (4-5) have a very real shot to make the postseason — like many teams in a jumbled NFC. The current holders of wild-card spots are the New Orleans Saints at 5-4, and Carolina Panthers at 5-5. Both teams are making quarterback changes, which could open the door for everyone else. The 49ers have another chance to create some momentum for themselves next Sunday, as they take on the 2-7 Jacksonville Jaguars.
Monday night was important because it showed us the 49ers still have the potential to play like one of the best teams in the NFL. If they can build on this performance, they will make the playoffs and could have another chance to make a Super Bowl run.
