49ers summon their best for desperately needed 24-16 win over Rams - San Francisco Chronicle

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The 49ers’ best players followed instructions.

A week after the most decorated and highest-compensated members of the 49ers were called out by head coach Kyle Shanahan, they showed up Sunday night in a desperately needed 24-16 win over the Rams at Levi’s Stadium.

The performance was essentially the exact opposite of what the 49ers had put on display a week earlier in a 26-point loss to the Dolphins. After that embarrassment, Shanahan said they needed their “best players to play at their best.”

On cue, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked worthy of his $25-plus million 2020 salary thanks in part to a stellar supporting cast. It included All-Pro tight end George Kittle (109 yards, TD), top wideout Deebo Samuel (66 yards, TD) and offensive tackles Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey, who led a maligned offensive line that didn’t allow a sack to a defense that arrived with NFL sack leader Aaron Donald.

The 49ers’ decimated defense was led by linebacker Fred Warner (seven tackles), one of its few available headliners, and an injured riddled player who was once briefly viewed among the best at his position: Cornerback Jason Verrett had an interception - his first since 2016 - when the Rams had 4th-and-goal at the 2-yard line and trailed 21-9 late in the third quarter.

As a result, the 49ers (3-3), who were coming off two straight ugly upset losses and are now in the midst of a murderous part of their schedule, spent much of the evening resembling what they were in 2019: The best team in the NFC.

The poster boy for their about one-week about face was Garoppolo, who was benched after halftime against the Dolphins. On Sunday, at halftime, Garoppolo had thrown for 215 yards - the most in the first half in his 25 starts with the 49ers - with three touchdown passes. Garoppolo completed 17 of 21 passes and posted a 148.9 passer rating in the first two quarters.

At halftime, the 49ers led 21-6 and had 291 yards after touchdown drives of 76, 87 and 75 yards that took nearly 17 minutes off the clock.

The 49ers opened the game with a crisp six-play, 76-yard drive that took just over three minutes and included gains of 5, 35, 2, 10, 18 and 6 yards.

Shanahan kept the pressure off Garoppolo, who completed 4 of 4 passes for 69 yards, with each pass thrown behind the line of scrimmage. Garoppolo completed two pitch passes to Samuel, who was in motion before the snap. After a 35-yard gain, Samuel took the second toss around right end for a 6-yard touchdown.

The 49ers took a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter on another exquisite drive, a 10-play, 87-yard march in which they faced just one third down. They didn’t convert that third down, but they went for it on 4th-and-2 from the Rams’ 44-yard line.

That was a good decision. The Rams brought a blitz and Garoppolo beat it by firing an over-the-middle pass to Kittle, who easily beat the coverage of cornerback Darious Williams and was untouched for the final 33 yards of the touchdown catch.

Leading 14-6, the 49ers took a 21-6 about two minutes before halftime when Garoppolo found wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a 2-yard score on 3rd-and-goal.

The 49ers’ offense stalled in the second half, scoring just three points and gaining 99 yards.

Their lack of production coincided with the loss of running back Raheem Mostert, who left with an ankle injury early in the third quarter after gaining 65 yards on 17 carries.

The Rams trimmed the deficit to 24-16 with 3:24 left on quarterback Jared Goff’s 40-yard touchdown pass to wideout Josh Reynolds.

Fittingly, the offense which began the game brilliantly, placed a period on the victory by collecting two first downs to run out the clock.

Eric Branch covers the 49ers for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

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49ers summon their best for desperately needed 24-16 win over Rams - San Francisco Chronicle
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