The San Francisco 49ers steam-rolled the Los Angeles Rams, 34-13, in Week 17 to close out the 2017 season with a 6-10 record. The outcome wasn't overly surprising given that the Rams benched nearly their entire starting lineup on both sides of the football.
San Francisco ends its campaign winning six of its last seven games, including five in a row with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. Here are the top takeaways from the 49ers season finale on New Year's Eve.
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1.** After a month of super-human performances, it turns out that Garoppolo is human after all. He finished with 292 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The picks were bad throws that set up Los Angeles with great field position. The mistakes weren't costly as the 49ers had the game seemingly locked up throughout.
The scores came on an 8-yard pass to Marquise Goodwin in the first quarter and a 12-yard pass to Aldrick Robinson in the fourth quarter. Garoppolo still had his share of impressive throws, but it was a ho-hum day overall for a quarterback who has set the bar incredibly high. He still hasn't lost as an NFL starter and now owns a 7-0 record.
2. George Kittle had his biggest day of the year. The rookie tight end closed out his first NFL campaign with four receptions for a career-high 100 yards. All of that production came in the first half. His 44-yard catch on the game's opening possession set a new career long.
3. Goodwin left the game after absorbing a vicious hit from Rams defensive back Blake Countess. He remained down on the field for a few minutes and was ultimately ruled out with a concussion. Goodwin finished with two receptions for 28 yards and his second touchdown of the season. He was taken to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation. Goodwin's health is the primary concern, but it's also disappointing that he finished just 38 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season. His emergence as a legit NFL wideout amid unthinkable tragedy is one of the NFL's top storylines of the year.
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4.** Pierre Garçon and Matt Breida both had big games, ripping off big gains throughout the contest. Hyde finished with 15 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Hyde's eight rushing touchdowns in 2017 set a new single-season career high. Breida chipped in with 72 yards on 15 carries.
5. San Francisco's defense was dominant against Rams backup QB Sean Mannion, who posted just 169 passing yards. Malcolm Brown, who started in place of Todd Gurley, accumulated just 54 yards on 14 carries. Cassius Marsh and Sheldon Day sacked Mannion. Marsh's sack resulted in a fumble that was recovered by K'Waun Williams. Ahkello Witherspoon also forced a fumble that Solomon Thomas recovered.
6. Robbie Gould ended his stellar season on another positive note. He made both of his field-goal attempts from 33 and 38 yards. He will begin 2018 with a streak of 23-straight made field goals. His 39 made field goals in 2017 are a new career high.
