San Francisco 49ers: Takeaways From Week One Vs. LA Rams

That’s a wrap. Week 1 is officially complete, and the San Francisco 49ers came away with a W. But what can we take away from this win?

It’s only fair to start by remembering something very important. The San Francisco 49ers won against an already struggling LA Rams team. Don’t punch your ticket to the Super Bowl or hang your hat on this win… yet.

There were some positive notes and it is always a plus to get a shutout, especially on opening day. But take them with a grain of salt. That being said, here we go with the four biggest takeaways from this game:

First – Hello Chip Kelly. Again, you can’t really ask more from a coach than to get a shutout in the season opener. He had a quick offense, ran the ball, and when that didn’t work anymore, he made Blaine Gabbert throw. Kelly executed a great game plan, but the most exciting part was when he went for it on fourth down.

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That is the Chip Kelly we all remember from his days at the University of Oregon. The gutsy, quick play calling that he is famous for — and the kind of coach fans have been longing for. Suffice it to say, it’s not the type of play calling brought by former 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula. And that is a welcome change.

Second – Hello Offensive Line. Although the Rams as a team may not be at the top, their defense is absolutely nothing to scoff at. Some regard it as the best in the game, and with one of the best defensive lineman in the league in Aaron Donald. It is clearly the heart and soul of that team.

However, the Niners’ offensive line made them look like scrubs and gave up an astounding zero sacks. Yes, the offensive line that gave up 53 sacks last year — tied for second worst in the league — was a shining star last night.

You better believe Gabbert and Carlos Hyde are thanking them today.

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Third – Hello Defensive Line. The defensive line was impressive and held the Rams offense to a total of zero points. Shutting out any team — even the Rams — is a big plus. They even made Todd Gurley, last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, a non-factor. He ended the game with a mere 47 rushing yards and averaged 2.8 yards per carry. To put it in perspective last year he averaged 85.1 yards/game and 4.8 yards/carry.

Arik Armstead and Ahmad Brooks had one sack a piece, and rookie DeForest Buckner added a lot of pressure to the Rams offense.

Fourth – Hello Blaine Gabbert? There are mixed emotions with Gabbert’s performance. He looked calm, proved he could use his legs, and came away with a W but that’s about where the pluses end.

Gabbert missed wide open receivers on numerous occasions. Two stand out — one, he overthrew to Jeremy Kerley when he was about as open as you can get for an easy touchdown, and the second, he threw at Torrey Smith’s feet on fourth and one

He also got lucky on more than one occasion when the defense couldn’t come up with an interception that easily might have led to a couple pick six’s. Long story short, Gabbert will need to play much cleaner in coming games against more difficult opponents.

A win is a win, and last night put a smile on the faces of many Niner fans. But questions remain. Coach Kelly clearly went into this one with a mind to run the ball. And it worked for the most part.

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But what happens when better teams figure that out sooner and force Gabbert to throw more? Will he become more consistent? Will the defense break down against stronger and quicker offenses?

The real test, and the answer to many of these questions, comes this weekend as the San Francisco 49ers take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.