San Francisco 49ers

Top-5 Takeaways from 49ers Win Versus the Rams

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Heading into Week 1, the San Francisco 49ers hadn’t exactly given the fans a reason to be optimistic. After an aggressive level of play on both sides of the ball, the “Bay Area Youth Movement” has given the fans something to cheer about.

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers won 28-0. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

As the last seconds of preseason ticked away, the San Francisco 49ers looked as though they had left many questions unanswered for the upcoming season.

49ers

Niner Noise 3wCarlos Hyde: Identifying 49ers RB's Scheme Fit in 2016

More headlines around FanSided:

3w - 49ers QB Competition: Why Colin Kaepernick Emerges as Regular-Season Victor 3w - 49ers vs. Broncos: Preseason Week 2 Grades and Analysis for SF 3w - Chip Kelly Playbook 101: Shotgun Formation, the Inside Zone and Outside-Zone Run 3w - Niner Noise's Peter Panacy to Talk 49ers Preseason Football on San Francisco's 95.7 The Game 3w - 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Prior Trades Come Up BigMore News at Niner Noise

However, after an impressive 28-0 victory against the Rams, it looks as though they’ve slammed the door on all kinds of uncertainty.

Coming into the regular season, the 49ers were picked dead last to make Super Bowl LI. In fact, Las Vegas has given 150/1 odds for San Francisco to make the big show.

If you’ve been buying into the chatter that’s circling the NFL, then it’s easy to see why they feel this way.

Fans and critics of all kinds have said that the team didn’t bring back the pass rush. Critics also said quarterback Blaine Gabbert could not lead this team to victory. People also have said head coach Chip Kelly could not find early success with this team.

Thanks to an amazing defensive display, an impressive offensive line and a dominant running attack led by Carlos Hyde, fans and critics were proven to be undoubtedly wrong.

Here are five takeaways for San Francisco, following their win, to prove that this team is headed in the right direction.

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Shaun Draughn (24) celebrates after scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams during a NFL game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers Own Week 1

For the sixth time in as many seasons, the 49ers are 1-0. For the second year straight, they’ve won impressively on Monday Night Football.

Granted, it’s too early to start celebrating the possibility of home-field advantage for the playoffs. But for a team that many felt were left for dead, it’s a reason to be optimistic.

Critics can say that the win wasn’t impressive, due to the fact Rams quarterback Jared Goff didn’t play. But, in all fairness, nobody gave quarterback Blaine Gabbert a shot to even score, let alone lead his team to victory.

The @49ers are owning every aspect of this game, physically, emotionally and mentally. The @RamsNFL look as though they've given up.

— James LeBreton (@jamesplebreton) September 13, 2016

The defense owned the field by hurrying the passer and by stifling the ground game altogether.

Running back Todd Gurley struggled to gain separation from the defense. And the Rams couldn’t handle the fast-paced Chip Kelly offense. In fact, every area for the Rams was unimpressive. And every position for the 49ers looked dominant, including Gabbert.

The team moved the chains with ease, thanks to a fully-revamped offensive line and a man by the nickname of “El Guapo.”

Sep 1, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers guard Andrew Tiller (61) looks on from the sideline during the second half of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. San Francisco won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Offensive Line Continues to Dominate

After a season of abysmal run blocking and horrible pass protection, the 49ers first order of business was to strengthen the offensive line.

One of the first moves made was to bring in free agent guard Zane Beadles. Most fans didn’t realize just how significant that move was. Then came the drafting of former Stanford Cardinal Joshua Garnett.

Mix in the continued faith put in tackle Trent Brown, a fully healthy Daniel Kilgore and the offensive front is now the strongest functional part of the team.

The San Francisco 49ers would appear to have an offensive line: The San Francisco 49ers seem to have a first … https://t.co/TTLc5mXo0b

— 49ers Fan News (@49ersfannews) September 3, 2016

On Monday night against the Rams, the 49ers running game was unstoppable. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert had all the time in the world to check his receivers and make sensible throws. And when there wasn’t a throw to be made, he was provided with a secret-service-like protection to run the ball.

In other words, the offensive line made all things possible when it came time to move the chains.

The offense was so dominant that, with a few minutes left in the game, Gabbert was given the rest of the night off and Colin Kaepernick was brought into the game.

How’s that for a switch?

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) react in the game against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

The Pass Rush is for Real

Last night, the 49ers defense came into Week 1 with something to prove. People said they didn’t address the pass rush. People also said they couldn’t stop the run. But last night in Santa Clara, the 49ers did more than just that.

In the first half alone, the Los Angeles Rams were outplayed by the Niners starting defense on every snap. In 30 minutes of play, on six disappointing possessions, the Rams were forced to punt five times and were intercepted during the other.

They were sent to the locker room at halftime with 87 total yards of offense, and no clear-cut way to stop San Francisco’s momentum. To add insult to injury, their second half wasn’t much better. The Rams finished their Monday night contest with 185 total yards and 10 first downs.

The running game never got started, and the pass attack never happened.

Case Keenum was sacked twice and threw two interceptions in an underwhelming performance that yielded only 130 yards through the air. And running back Todd Gurley finished with 47 yards on the ground, but lost five team yards on one reception.

The defense on display in Week 1 was reminiscent of the play seen just three short years ago from the team that took San Francisco to Super Bowl XLVII.

To support the statement, the 49ers recorded their first ever season-opening shutout in franchise history.

Pretty good for a team that has not addressed the pass rush.

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) rushes against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Carlos Hyde is an Every Down Back

San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde once said in an offseason interview he wanted to be an every-down back.

To put in plainly, Hyde didn’t overwhelm the Rams. He finished with a solid performance of 88 yards, and an under-average 3.8 yards per carry.

What he did do was keep the momentum on the side of San Francisco, move the chains consistently and score two touchdowns. And that’s what an every-down back does.

#49ers scoring drive, 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:51 resulting in the @elguapo 1-yard TD! #GoNiners https://t.co/EI3wBexJ4b

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 13, 2016

He gave his team an opportunity to thrive in the passing game, because he kept the defense honest with a consistent running game. The 49ers finished the night with a team contribution of 150 yards and three touchdowns.

The most impressive part of Hyde’s performance was his patience from behind the line of scrimmage. He waited for the holes to open up rather than lowering his shoulder and taking the hit himself. This is exactly what he must do if he wants to make it through a full season of injury-free football.

Blaine Gabbert Can Lead this Team to Victory

You know the story of quarterback Blaine Gabbert already. He was the No. 10 pick overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2011 NFL Draft. He was brought in to be the starter of the unforeseeable future for the franchise. After three struggling seasons he ventured off to be the backup to Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco.

Many people couldn’t figure out just why the 49ers signed him. Gabbert was 5-22 as a starter, and his stats reflected two more interceptions than touchdown passes.

Three seasons later in Santa Clara, his starting record isn’t much better at 9-27, and he isn’t going to impress you with 70-yard passes and 400-yard games. What he can do is manage a game. And if the defense continues to dominate while the running game pounds the rock, then that’s all he needs to do.