Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel power 49ers to victory vs. Rams: Brock Purdy keeps winning | Albiseyler

By Matt Barrows, David Lombardi and Jourdan Rodrigue

The San Francisco 49ers picked up their second win of the season with a 30-23 victory against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at So-Fi Stadium. Here’s what you need to know:

• San Francisco QB Brock Purdy moved to 7-0 as a starter in the regular season.
• 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown and added 19 yards on three catches.
• San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel tallied 101 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
• Rams receiver Puka Nacua broke the NFL record for catches in a player’s first two games Sunday with 25 catches in Weeks 1 and 2. He also set a rookie single-game mark with 15 receptions and 147 yards.

Purdy can handle it

Purdy wasn’t as sharp as he was in Pittsburgh. The quarterback with the oft-criticized arm actually overthrew Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Samuel for potentially big gains. His best throws came in the fourth quarter when the 49ers held a three-point lead. He fired a dart over the middle that Samuel gathered for 16 yards. On the next play, he believed Jennings would come down with what was essentially a jump ball down the left sideline. The 6-foot-3 receiver did just that with a 31-yard gain, the 49ers’ longest pass of the day. That set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Samuel, the game’s only touchdown of the second half. — Barrows

Niners hurt on CB

Injuries are often epidemic at one position, and for the 49ers, that position was corner.

They entered Sunday’s game without one backup cornerback, Samuel Womack III, who injured his knee in Wednesday’s practice and went on injured reserve. The team also lost Ambry Thomas (knee) and Deommodore Lenoir (concussion precaution) for parts of the game. Thomas returned to the game in the third quarter when Lenoir had to sit out while Lenoir was concussed and made a convincing save late in the fourth quarter.

Read more: What we learned from NFL Week 2: Giants resilient, Bengals, Chargers on the lookout and more

All the issues meant that Isaiah Oliver played nickel cornerback for most of the game. He had a big game, including a quick interception of a tipped pass in the third quarter that led to a 57-yard field goal by Jake Moody. — Barrows

San Francisco is making key adjustments

The 49ers won the adjustment battle, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Matthew Stafford kept the defense off balance in the first half, but coordinator Steve Wilks’ hearty blitz finally broke the Rams in the second half. The 49ers hit Stafford twice and peppered the game with their usual steady onslaught on the offensive end.

The 49ers are clearly using their proven winning formula. Their team balance allows for complementary football, which came in droves today. One of the greatest games? A 57-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jake Moody, who is proving to be worth the third-round pick the 49ers spent on him. — Lombardi

Turnovers make the difference

While the Rams made it more of a fistfight than many expected, a costly interception that raised the hands of running back Kyren Williams started to tilt the contest in the 49ers’ favor. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a second strike deep into Rams own territory, a skipped route intended for Van Jefferson (his first target of the day). Still, it looked like Stafford and the Rams were in it until fourth-and-2, when a missed block led to a loaded lane and a loss. After a well-protected first half, the pressure began to get to Stafford in the second half, and the Rams also lost starting right guard Joe Noteboom for the rest of the game to a shoulder injury.
I thought the Rams played more physical with this 49ers team than they have in many past games and clearly started to build an identity behind more assertive line play and passing. But a couple of self-inflicted mistakes were all the dominant 49ers roster needed to put the game away. — Rodrigue

Required reading

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)