49ers at St. Louis Rams

Greg Zuerlein kicked a 54-yard field goal in overtime and the St. Louis Rams beat the 49ers 16-13 at the Edward Jones Dome. Colin Kaepernick threw for 208 yards. Frank Gore ran for 47. Sam Bradford threw for 221 yards. Steven Jackson ran for 31. The 49ers fell to 8-3-1 in their first loss with Kaepernick at QB1.[1][2][3]

Greg Zuerlein kicked a 54-yard field goal in overtime Sunday afternoon at the Edward Jones Dome. The St. Louis Rams beat the 49ers 16-13 in the kind of Sunday-afternoon divisional road OT loss where the year-two team's competitive identity, in Kaepernick's third NFL start, took its first Kaepernick-era loss.

Colin Kaepernick threw for 208 yards. Frank Gore ran for 47. Michael Crabtree caught five for 71. Vernon Davis caught four for 56. David Akers kicked two field goals. The kind of Sunday-afternoon divisional road game where the offense produced 13 points and the defense gave up 16.

Sam Bradford threw for 221 yards. Steven Jackson ran for 31. The 49ers' defense generated two sacks. The kind of Sunday-afternoon divisional road OT loss where the year-two team's competitive identity, in Kaepernick's third NFL start, was tested and the result was the kind of close cross-divisional defeat the rebuild had not produced consistently. 8-3-1 with the Dolphins at home next week.

Rams 16, 49ers 13 (OT). Margin: -3. Twelve-game record: 8-3-1, +118 differential.

• Greg Zuerlein: 54y OT FG (game-winner).
• Sam Bradford: 23-of-37 for 221.
• Steven Jackson: 13 carries for 31.
• Danny Amendola: 5 catches for 33.
• Colin Kaepernick: 19-of-31 for 208.
• Frank Gore: 11 carries for 47.
• Michael Crabtree: 5 catches for 71.
• Vernon Davis: 4 catches for 56.
• David Akers: 2 FGs.
• 49ers 8-3-1; Rams 5-6-1.

A 16-13 overtime divisional road loss to the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers fall to 8-3-1 in Kaepernick's third NFL start.

How it unfolded

Kaepernick led an early field-goal drive. The Rams' Greg Zuerlein kicked field goals to tie. The 49ers led 9-3 at halftime behind another field goal and a Kaepernick touchdown to Crabtree (wait, the score was 13-9). Both teams traded field goals through the second half. The score was 13-13 in regulation. Akers attempted a 41-yard field goal in OT that hit the upright. Zuerlein's 54-yarder ended it.

The turning point

Akers's missed 41-yard field goal in OT. With the year-two team's offense having driven into field-goal range and the OT possession looking like it would produce the winning kick, Akers's miss off the upright gave the Rams the field-position chance to win the game.

By the numbers

Kaepernick 19-of-31 for 208. Gore 11 carries for 47. Davis 4 catches for 56. Crabtree 5 catches for 71. Bradford 23-of-37 for 221. Steven Jackson 13 for 31. Amendola 5 for 33. The 49ers' two sacks.

Personnel watch

Kaepernick's first Kaepernick-era loss. Akers's missed field goal in OT. The defense gave up 16 points. The kind of Sunday-afternoon divisional road performance where the year-two team's competitive identity, in Kaepernick's third NFL start, was tested.

What it means

8-3-1 with the Dolphins at home next week. The Sunday-afternoon divisional road OT loss is the kind of result that, in Kaepernick's third NFL start, has the year-two team's competitive identity in active question. The Dolphins game next is a winnable home matchup.