Thursday Night Football ended with the San Francisco 49ers returning to form with a 35-11 victory over the St. Louis Rams.
The short week was very good for the 49ers. They started the game slow, and it looked like the same team from the last two weeks , but then found their rhythm. Vernon Davis returned to the lineup, freeing up Anquan Boldin from non-stop double coverage. Boldin responded with 90 yards and one acrobatic touchdown.
The 49ers also returned to their run game, and Frank Gore had one of the best games of his career, finishing with 153 yards and one touchdown.
Colin Kaepernick did his best Alex Smith impersonation and played smart football to the tune of 167 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, Kaepernick had zero interceptions.
The Rams got thumped for the second week in a row, and are now 1-3 on the season. Their run game was non-existent and Sam Bradford finished the night 19-41 for 202 yards, one touchdown, and one touchdown.
Overall, Thursday Night Football ended up being very one sided. The St. Louis Rams, despite a 7-9 finish last season, don’t look ready to compete in the NFC West. The 49ers looked like a Super Bowl team again, and it must feel good to be 2-2, but they’ll need to beat a contender to gain back their respect.
The real story of the game might be the injuries. The Rams lost a number of players, including T.J. McDonald, who had to be carted off the field with a leg injury.
The 49ers lost Joe Staley near the end of the game. He was almost carted of the field before he stood up and walked off on his own weight, but if his injury is serious it could be terrible for San Francisco.
Did you watch Thursday Night Football? Did the 49ers impress you?
[image via Football Schedule | flickr ]
