It’s a 49er shiner for the Rams, who blow a 14-point lead in latest loss
The Rams blew a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter to fall to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, for the second time this season.
It really could not have ended any other way.
Not for this Rams team. Not in this lost season.
A matchup against the NFL’s worst defense? A two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter?
As usual, none of that mattered Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Rams’ 22-21 defeat at the Coliseum — punctuated by a decisive two-point conversion run by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — added another ignominious performance to a string of them.
In a season of bad endings, this one probably ranked as the worst.
“Seems like it’s a little bit more of the same,” interim Coach John Fassel said.
Actually, it was a lot more of the same.
The Rams have lost 10 of their last 11 games and will limp into next week’s finale against the Arizona Cardinals with a 4-11 record.
Two of the losses came against the 49ers, who have won only two games — both, of course, against the Rams.
The season-opening 28-0 defeat at Levi’s Stadium on “Monday Night Football” was regarded by some as an anomaly after the Rams won their next three games and sat atop the NFC West.
That thought vanished as the losses mounted.
But the Rams, wearing their throwback uniforms, were favored in the rematch with a 49ers team that had 17 players on injured reserve and first-year Coach Chip Kelly on the hot seat.
It did not matter.
“It’s horrible,” three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “I don’t know what else to say. ... It’s definitely frustrating, man. I’m kind of tired of going home mad every week.”
Said receiver Tavon Austin: “We had the game. We were up by 14 in the fourth and we gave it away.”
The defense faltered at the end after the Rams’ NFL-worst offense once again failed to keep it off the field by sustaining drives.
Rookie quarterback Jared Goff completed 11 of 24 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, as the Rams totaled only 177 yards in offense against a team giving up an average of 424.
“The offense needs to play better,” Goff said. “It starts with the quarterback, it starts with me. As the leader of the team, the leader of the offense I need to be better. Better than I was today, for sure.”
Despite Goff’s struggles — he was sacked four times – he positioned the Rams for victory by connecting with rookie tight end Tyler Higbee for a touchdown with 10:32 left.
“I felt real confident in where we were,” Goff said.
But Rams fans had to feel uneasy.
In Goff’s debut on Nov. 20 against Miami, the Rams led by 10 points at the Coliseum with just over six minutes left.
The Dolphins drove for two touchdowns to win.
After losing to the 49ers, Rams players remembered it well.
“It reminded me of the Miami game,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “We played good all game, then the last few possessions, it’s like we gave up, man, the whole team, including myself.”
The defense had the misfortune of running into Kaepernick just as he recaptured his vintage form down the stretch.
The sixth-year pro mostly made headlines this season for not standing for the national anthem and for speaking out against social injustice. On Saturday, he engineered two clutch drives and also ran the ball in for the decisive conversion.
The Rams led, 21-7, when Kaepernick scrambled for a touchdown that pulled the 49ers to within a touchdown with about five minutes left.
The Rams went three and out and the 49ers took over at their 27.
Kaepernick masterfully drove his team down the field, connecting with receiver Rod Streater for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left. Kaepernick then scrambled to his right and dived into the end zone for the winning points.
“It was a designed rollout,” Kelly said. “That’s what we were trying to do with him — try to get him on the edge.”
The Rams’ hopes for a possible game-winning field goal ended when Rashard Robinson intercepted Goff’s pass.
“That’s football,” said Rams running back Todd Gurley, who had a one-yard touchdown run but averaged fewer than three yards in 23 carries. “Nothing is in the bag. We done went through this before.”
Way too many times.
“It’s definitely frustrating to lose the way we have; we just find ways to lose,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “But I commend these guys for staying together. We haven’t had any big issues with pointing the fingers or anything like that.”
The Rams will be off Sunday and then return to begin preparations for the Cardinals.
Fassel said he had an idea for motivating players in the finale, but he declined to reveal it.
“Hopefully,” he said, “the last game of the season next week is a good memory.”
Twitter: @latimesklein
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