49ers cornerbacks Lenoir, Green stood up to MVP Stafford

SYDNEY, Australia – As the 49ers’ goal-line stand started in their season-opening win, Deommodore Lenoir flashed back to 2018, specifically an overtime loss at the University of Oregon.

Stanford’s Colby Parkinson scored a go-ahead touchdown on a catch he tipped to himself and out of Lenoir’s reach.

Parkinson is now a 6-foot-7, 266-pound tight end with the Los Angeles Rams. Lenoir a 5-10, 200-pound 49ers cornerback. A mismatch, right?

When they met again inside the 5-yard line at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the teams’ season opener, Lenoir had to play bigger and hold firm. The Rams had first-and-goal at the 9-yard line, Parkinson caught Matthew Stafford’s pass, and headed for the end zone near the left sideline. Lenoir did not let him repeat that 2018 success, helping start a key goal-line stand in the 49ers’ win.

Parkinson put his head down and plowed forward into Lenoir, who halted him at the 3-yard line, with linebacker Dre Greenlaw also on the scene to push the Rams’ first goal-to-go try out of bounds.

“The funny part about it, I played him in college, and he kind of caught an overtime touchdown on me to win the game,” Lenoir told the Bay Area News Group in the 49ers’ locker room. “So every time I see him, it’s on, and I’ve got to match the energy. … It was kind of loud. I think I got lockjaw.”

Lenoir’s mouth wasn’t hurt enough to keep talking about that goal-line stand. A second-down run was stopped at the 2, then the Rams again looked toward Lenoir, who tackled Puka Nacua at the 1-yard line on a third-down slant.

Said Lenoir: “I looked at Fred once they got down there (inside the 10) and he said, ‘We’ve got to stand up. This is what we’re made of, so stand up.’”

The goal-line stand ended once Warner and defensive tackles Grayson Halton and Osa Odighizuwa stopped Stafford’s fourth-and-goal sneak.

Stafford, the reigning Associated Press NFL MVP, passed for just 155 yards and completed 15-of-25 passes, with one interception.

The 49ers trailed 7-3 when Renardo Green made that interception at the 49ers’ 14-yard line in the second quarter, on a Stafford lob to Nacua on the Rams’ series following an interception of Brock Purdy.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said of Green: “He was one of the guys I was most excited about this year just in terms of taking such a big step from the year before, and he had that hamstring which set him back, and he wasn’t able to go until this week.”