Ronnie Bell of the San Francisco 49ers kneels before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Inglewood, California.
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesDeja vu came for San Francisco 49ers receiver Ronnie Bell on Sunday at the worst possible time.
With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter against the Rams, quarterback Brock Purdy saw Bell beat his man on the right side of the field and threw the ball to him. But despite being open, and leaping to get even more separation from his defender, Bell was unable to make the catch. The ball bounced off his hands and fell harmlessly to the grass, causing head coach Kyle Shanahan to throw his arms up in frustration.
Had Bell made the reception, the Niners would have been near the Rams’ 25-yard line, allowing them to run out the clock to set up at least a game-winning field goal. Instead, the Niners were forced to punt two plays later, gave up a big return and lost on a last-second field goal…