Rams vs. 49ers: Score and Twitter Reaction for Monday Night Football

It was the Los Angeles Rams that took the field on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers, but they still looked like the version from St. Louis that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2004 season.

San Francisco’s defense shut down the Los Angeles attack for the entire game and moved to 1-0 with a 28-0 victory. The Rams had 13 possessions on Monday (not counting the final kneel down), and 10 of them ended in punts. The others resulted in two interceptions and a turnover on downs, as the 49ers dictated the tempo with their physical style of play.

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Superstar running back Todd Gurley was largely a nonfactor for Los Angeles with 47 rushing yards behind a 2.8 yards-per-carry average. Quarterback Case Keenum finished 17-of-35 for 130 passing yards and two interceptions and didn’t inspire much confidence with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff on the sidelines.

The NFL on ESPN reminded fans it’s been quite a long time since the Los Angeles Rams scored a point:

The Los Angeles Rams have still not scored a point since Dec. 24, 1994.

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 13, 2016

It wasn’t just the offense that struggled for Los Angeles, as defensive tackle Aaron Donald was ejected in the fourth quarter for making contact with an official, per Steve Wyche of NFL Network

Donald and the rest of the Rams failed to contain Carlos Hyde, who tallied 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert managed the game with 170 passing yards and one touchdown throw, and he added 43 yards on the ground and moved the sticks with his dual-threat abilities.

One of the primary storylines from Monday played out before kickoff, as 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick continued his protest of the way people of color are treated in the United States, by taking a knee alongside teammate Eric Reid during the national anthem. Darren Rovell of ESPN passed along an image of the two before the contest:

Eric Reid & Colin Kaepernick kneeling during National Anthem tonight pic.twitter.com/t687vLpG7q

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 13, 2016

The start of the game between the two teams that combined to go 12-20 last year was much less notable. The first three possessions ended in punts before Gabbert used his arm and legs to put the 49ers in scoring position. Hyde finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to put San Francisco ahead, 7-0.

NFL Network shared the play and praised San Francisco’s blocking to set up the score:

That blocking up front.