SANTA CLARA: This is the live blog of the 49ers’ Week 18 home game against the Los Angeles Rams. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.
12:25 Here are the 49ers’ inactive: Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Arik Armstead, Ji’Ayir Brown, Jauan Jennings, Tashaun Gipson, Ambry Thomas.
12:30 This game will be tricky to cover because neither team has anything to play for. Presumably, each team will pull their starters after a drive or two, and the rest of the game will be played by backups. So this is an opportunity to assess the future of the team. How good are the young players? How good is Sam Darnold? These questions shouldn’t matter in early January just before a Super Bowl run, but that’s all we must analyze today. So let’s focus on Darnold. This game is an audition for him. If he performs exceptionally well, he could land a gig as a starting quarterback elsewhere next season. If he performs moderately well, he could return as the 49ers backup quarterback next season. If he stinks, he could wash out of the league. I’m inquisitive to see how he plays. He has been in the 49ers offensive system all year. By this time last year, Brock Purdy had mastered the system, which means Darnold should have it down by now. And while we know he has a strong arm, we need to see if he can protect the football, because he couldn’t on his previous teams.
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