The 49ers (1-0) travel to the Edward Jones Dome for a 5:30 PT kickoff against the St. Louis Rams (0-1) on Sunday Night Football.
Marc Bulger starts at quarterback for the Rams. Marshall Faulk runs the ball. Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce lead the receivers. Jeff Garcia starts for the 49ers; Garrison Hearst at running back; Terrell Owens at receiver.
Sunday Night Football at the Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers (1-0), off the 49-7 home opener blowout of Chicago, face the 0-1 St. Louis Rams in the kind of primetime division road game where the new Erickson era gets its first national audience.
Jeff Garcia stays the starter. Garrison Hearst the lead back. Terrell Owens the WR1. The Rams come in with Marc Bulger at quarterback (filling in for the injured Kurt Warner) and Marshall Faulk as the lead back.
Favored by the Rams by 3 at home. The kind of Sunday-night division road game where 2-0 would put the 49ers in the early NFC West lead.
Week 2 Sunday Night Football across the NFC, the early-season sort begins. The Buccaneers, Eagles, Cowboys, and Vikings lead the conference contender talk. The 49ers (1-0) lead the NFC West with the Cardinals (1-0) tied. The Rams (0-1) and Seahawks (0-1) trail. Around the AFC the Patriots, Colts, and Chiefs dominate. The Sunday-night game is the kind of week where a 49ers road win, in primetime, would establish the new Erickson era as a real NFC West threat.
Through one game the 49ers are 1-0 with a +42 point differential. Jeff Garcia posted a 96.2 rating in the opener. Garrison Hearst rushed for 62. Kevan Barlow rushed for 62. Terrell Owens caught 7 for 112. The defense produced three interceptions of Stewart. The Rams are 0-1 with Marc Bulger averaging 285 passing yards in the opener. Marshall Faulk averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Torry Holt led the team in receiving. Vegas opens St. Louis as 3-point home favorites; total 50.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-1 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-1 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-1 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 1-0 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1-0 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1-0 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 1-0 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-0 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-0 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-1 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 1-0 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-0 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 1-0 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-0 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-1 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-0 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-0 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-1 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tai Streets 16 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jeff Chandler kick) | 7-0 |
| Rams | Torry Holt 11 yard pass from Marc Bulger ( Jeff Wilkins kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jeff Chandler 35 yard field goal | 10-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Marshall Faulk 2 yard rush ( Jeff Wilkins kick) | 10-14 |
| 49ers | Kevan Barlow 19 yard rush ( Jeff Chandler kick) | 17-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Dane Looker 19 yard pass from Marc Bulger ( Jeff Wilkins kick) | 17-21 |
| Rams | Jeff Wilkins 29 yard field goal | 17-24 |
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 13 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jeff Chandler kick) | 24-24 |
| OT | ||
| Rams | Jeff Wilkins 28 yard field goal | 24-27 |
Marc Bulger threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and the St. Louis Rams beat the 49ers 27-24 at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday Night Football. Jeff Garcia threw for 222 with two touchdowns. Marshall Faulk ran for 57 with a touchdown. Garrison Hearst ran for 89. Terrell Owens caught five for 73. The 49ers fell to 1-1 in the primetime road loss.[1][2][3]
Marc Bulger went for 236 yards and two touchdowns Sunday night at the Edward Jones Dome. The St. Louis Rams beat the 49ers 27-24 in the kind of primetime division road loss where, after Dennis Erickson's opening blowout of Chicago, the new staff's first competitive game ended in a one-score defeat.
Jeff Garcia threw two touchdowns. Garrison Hearst ran for 89. Terrell Owens caught five for 73. Marshall Faulk ran for 57 with a touchdown. The defense surrendered the kind of late-game touchdown the year's identity tape will need to prevent.
1-1. The kind of Sunday-night division road loss where the new Erickson era's first competitive primetime game ended on a 27-24 close finish. The Cleveland Browns at home next Sunday in a cross-conference matchup. The kind of September where the year's identity tape, two weeks in, has produced both a blowout win and a one-score loss.
Rams 27, 49ers 24. Margin: -3. Two-game record: 1-1, +39 differential.
* Marc Bulger: 25-of-36 for 236, 2 TDs, 0 INTs.
* Marshall Faulk: 18 carries for 57, 1 TD.
* Torry Holt: receiving production with TD.
* Jeff Garcia: 19-of-35 for 222, 2 TDs, 1 INT.
* Garrison Hearst: 11 carries for 89.
* Terrell Owens: 5 catches for 73.
* Cedrick Wilson: 4 catches for 57.
* 49ers 1-1; Rams 1-1.
A 27-24 division Sunday Night Football road loss at the Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers fall to 1-1.
How it unfolded
The Rams scored on their opening drive with a Bulger touchdown to make it 7-0. The 49ers answered with a Jeff Garcia touchdown to tie at 7-7. The Rams added a field goal and a touchdown to make it 17-7. Garcia threw a second touchdown to make it 17-14 at halftime. The third quarter was a Rams field goal and a 49ers field goal to make it 20-17. The fourth quarter was a Bulger second touchdown to push the lead to 27-17, then a 49ers touchdown to close it 27-24.
The turning point
Marc Bulger's fourth-quarter touchdown that pushed the lead to 27-17. With the 49ers down 20-17 and the new Erickson era's defense looking like it could make the stand its identity is built on, Bulger's score gave the Rams the two-score lead the 49ers' offense could not match.
By the numbers
Garcia 222 passing on 35 attempts with two TDs and an INT. Hearst 89 rushing on 11 carries. Owens 73 receiving on 5 catches. Cedrick Wilson 57 receiving. Bulger 236 on 36 attempts with two TDs. Marshall Faulk 57 rushing with a TD.
Personnel watch
The new Erickson era's first competitive primetime game. Jeff Garcia's two-touchdown passing. Garrison Hearst's productive rushing. The defense surrendering the late touchdown. The kind of Sunday-night division loss where the box score was 27-24 and the year's identity tape, two weeks in, has both ends of the bell curve.
What it means
1-1 with the Browns at home next Sunday. The kind of Sunday-night division loss that, against a Rams team without Kurt Warner, was the kind of competitive performance the new staff was hoping for. The defense's late-game stop will be the year's defining metric.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 19/35 | 222 | 2 | 1 | |
| Tim Rattay | 1/2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cedrick Wilson | 1/1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| STL | |||||
| Marc Bulger | 25/36 | 236 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 11 | 89 | 0 | 36 |
| Kevan Barlow | 11 | 45 | 1 | 19 |
| Jeff Garcia | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Fred Beasley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| STL | ||||
| Marshall Faulk | 18 | 57 | 1 | 26 |
| Lamar Gordon | 6 | 31 | 0 | 13 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Cedrick Wilson | 4 | 57 | 0 | 29 |
| Tai Streets | 4 | 53 | 1 | 16 |
| Terrell Owens | 5 | 42 | 1 | 15 |
| Kevan Barlow | 3 | 35 | 0 | 18 |
| Jed Weaver | 3 | 35 | 0 | 18 |
| Garrison Hearst | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Jeff Garcia | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| STL | ||||
| Torry Holt | 6 | 64 | 1 | 17 |
| Isaac Bruce | 6 | 63 | 0 | 26 |
| Dane Looker | 5 | 47 | 1 | 19 |
| Marshall Faulk | 4 | 33 | 0 | 22 |
| Lamar Gordon | 3 | 26 | 0 | 21 |
| Cam Cleeland | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2003 W2 - 49ers at St. Louis Rams - Game Thread