SANTA CLARA -- Just six days after suffering a dramatic, agonizing defeat, there was very little drama as the 49ers lost their fifth consecutive game Sunday.
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes, and Todd Gurley ran for two scores, as the Los Angeles Rams remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team with a 39-10 victory over the turnover-prone 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
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The Rams improved to 7-0, while the 49ers fall to 1-6.
The game was a stark contrast to the 49ers’ game Monday night in Green Bay, where they let a late lead slip away in a 33-30 loss to the Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. On Sunday, the 49ers simply were blown away.
Here are three takeaways from a game that again featured a disastrous number of 49ers’ giveaways:
Giving away any chance at victory
San Francisco 49ers
The Rams are one of the NFL's more talented teams, so the 49ers needed to play a near-perfect game to have any hope of an upset. Certainly, the 49ers would have given themselves a chance with a favorable turnover margin.
But the 49ers have been the worst team in the league when it comes to giving away the ball. And, on defense, they’ve been the worst at taking it away.
The team’s futility at taking care of the football was on full display against the Rams. The 49ers committed three turnovers in the first half, and Los Angeles cashed in on those miscues with 17 points.
C.J. Beathard and Matt Breida lost fumbles, and Beathard threw a second-quarter interception on a pass intended for Marquise Goodwin. On the flip side, 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt allowed a rare Jared Goff ill-advised pass to slip through his hands in the first quarter.
Beathard threw an interception in the second half, as the Rams cashed in another touchdown. The Rams scored 24 points off turnovers and added another five points with a safety and a field goal after the ensuring free kick.
Since Antone Exum opened the Sept. 30 game with an interception return for a touchdown against Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, the 49ers have committed 14 turnovers without a takeaway.
Coming off a solid showing Monday in Green Bay, Beathard completed 15 of 27 passes for 170 yards with one TD and two interceptions this time. He was sacked seven times -- four times by Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald -- and lost a fumble.
Short-handed in the secondary
The 49ers’ starting cornerbacks in Week 6 were not available Sunday because of injuries. Richard Sherman was inactive with a calf injury, and Jimmie Ward was held out with a hamstring strain.
The injuries continued for 49ers defensive backs Sunday when Adrian Colbert sustained a lower right leg injury in the third quarter. He did not return, though the injury appeared it was not as serious as originally feared, as Colbert returned to the sideline.
Rookie D.J. Reed replaced Colbert. In the first half, Reed took over at nickel back for several plays when K’Waun Williams appeared to aggravate a shoulder injury. Williams was listed as questionable for the game on the 49ers’ official injury report.
The 49ers started Ahkello Witherspoon and Greg Mabin at cornerback in place of Sherman and Ward. Witherspoon was cleared through the league’s concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury upon colliding with Mabin on the Packers’ game-winning field goal on the final play of regulation last Monday.
Bringing 49ers of the past together
The 49ers' highlight of the day occurred four hours before kickoff when the team unveiled statues of Dwight Clark and Joe Montana outside Gate A at Levi’s Stadium to commemorate “The Catch.”
The ceremony was in conjunction with a reunion of the 49ers’ last Super Bowl-winning team, which came following the 1994 season. Former coach George Seifert spoke at halftime and was lifted into the air by some of the players after concluding his speech.
Many 49ers greats of all generations -- including Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young and Terrell Owens -- were in attendance.
On Saturday night, three former 49ers -- Brent Jones, John Taylor and Steve Wallace -- addressed the current team.