Kyle Shanahan: The 49ers had a chance to get away, but instead we gave the Rams hope

The 49ers jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead against the Rams on Sunday and looked set to dominate an outnumbered and injury-plagued opponent. The Rams held on, but the 49ers still led 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter and appeared to have the game under control.

And then the 49ers allowed 13 points in the final seven minutes, including 10 points after the two-minute warning, and the Rams won 27-24.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said his team had to shut down the opposition when they got the chance and blamed the loss on his team's special teams mistakes in the fourth quarter, including a missed field goal, allowing a first down on a Rams fake punt and a 38-yard punt return.

“Then I thought we had the chance to get away with it, “I didn't give them any hope,” Shanahan said, via ESPN. “This gave them a lot of hope. It got them back in the game … those are three big plays in the game.”

Shanahan said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will always be dangerous if you hold him until the fourth quarter.

“You have to take away their hope,” Shanahan said. “You give Stafford too much hope, you end up putting the ball in his hands, that's not a situation you want to be in.”

Despite playing behind a ragtag offensive line and without his two best receivers, Stafford completed 16 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He led two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter, then took a costly pass interference penalty against the 49ers to set up the game-winning field goal. When the 49ers had a chance to shut down Stafford, they didn't. It was a huge missed opportunity for the preseason favorites to win the NFC, who are now 1-2.