The 49ers knew it wouldn't be easy against a Rams team that is quickly putting to bed any thoughts of a rebuild.

Their expectations of a tough game proved correct as, despite a hot start, the Niners found themselves 17-10 down late in the first half of the Week 2 clash in Los Angeles.

But the 49ers leveled it up before the half on a Brock Purdy rushing touchdown.

Here are my observations from a compelling first half at SoFi Stadium.

Aiyuk dealing with injury

Brandon Aiyuk was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his two-touchdown display in the season opener, and his burgeoning rapport with Brock Purdy was on display on the first series in Los Angeles. Purdy found Aiyuk for first-down conversions twice on the opening drive, which ended in a Christian McCaffrey rushing touchdown, but Aiyuk then headed to the blue medical tent with an apparent upper body issue.

Aiyuk was continually getting his neck worked on throughout the first half, though he should have had a touchdown in the second quarter when he beat Ahkello Witherspoon on a double move, only for Purdy to overthrow him.

The 2020 first-round pick is clearly playing hurt, but he's still playing very impressively.

49ers can't stop Puka

Puka Nacua had 110 yards receiving in the Rams' season-opening win over the Seahawks. 

Conventional wisdom was that the rookie wideout would not have it so easy against the 49ers. However, the fifth-round pick defied the prevailing school of thought with a remarkably prolific first half.

He finished the opening two frames with seven catches for 69 yards, the 49ers having no answer for him on shallow crossers and failing to get hands on him in coverage to slow him down.

The 49ers will need to make significant adjustment at halftime to negate the impact of an emerging star.

Penalties costing the Niners dear

It's no secret there's quite a large talent gap between the 49ers and the Rams' youthful roster.

But there has been an equalizer the Rams took advantage of in the first half: penalties.

The 49ers were flagged consistently in the first half, with the most crucial penalties coming on the Rams' first touchdown drive.

Jake Moody sent the kickoff out of bounds, setting Rams up in great field position at the 40-yard line and later on the drive Dre Greenlaw was flagged for unnecessary roughness in the red zone.

The Rams had plenty of success moving the ball without additional help from San Francisco, but that assistance from 49ers ill-discipline made Los Angeles' life significantly easier.

49ers pressure failing to tell

The 49ers last week pressured Kenny Pickett 28 times, per Pro Football Focus, in the Week 1 win over the Steelers.

San Francisco did push the pocket from the interior in the first half against the Rams, but they struggled to lay a glove on Matthew Stafford, who was not sacked in the first half.

Logic says that the pressure up the middle will eventually start to tell, and the 49ers need that to be the case if they are to avoid an upset.

Purdy's poise

The Niners were in a tough spot ahead of the final drive of the first half with the Rams having taken a 17-10 lead with 1:45 to go.

But the composure that has been evident through his young career defined the 49ers' seven-play march to tie the game.

It was most apparent on a 20-yard strike to Jauan Jennings with a free runner bearing down on him.

After getting the 49ers down to the one-yard line, Purdy punched it in on a quarterback sneak with a second remaining, that rushing score just reward for a showing of hugely impressive poise.

Cam Akers scratching his head after being made inactive for Rams’ Week 2 game vs. 49ers

There’s talk of him being traded.

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