INGLEWOOD, CA– On Thursday, October 2nd the Los Angeles Rams hosted the injury plagued 49ers at Sofi Stadium, an instant classic 26-23 Overtime win for the Niners. On fourth down at the Niners 11-yard line, Head Coach Sean McVay made the controversial call to go for the win.
The gamble failed as the 49ers built a wall that shut down the Rams on the critical fourth down to end the game. Turnovers and horrible special teams down the stretch cost the Rams another agonizing defeat.
Thursday night’s win has to be one of the most satisfying of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s career. It’s certainly one of the most impressive. And dramatic.
The 49ers kept the game alive in regulation with a forced fumble at the goal line with just over a minute to go, and even after the Rams got a stop and forced overtime on a field goal with two seconds left in regulation, their defense got a stop on a fourth-and-1 run by Williams — a call from Sean McVay to keep going for the win and not settle for a tie — setting off a celebration.
It was a bad call in which McVay blamed himself during the postgame conference. The play selection was very poor,” McVay said. “I’m sick right now because I put our players in a bad spot. I’ve got to live with that.”
The 49ers pulled off one of the shocking upsets of the early NFL season, ignoring multiple injuries for a 26-23 win over a Rams team that was 3-1 coming into Thursday’s game. The 49ers were without their quarterback, three starting receivers, an All-Pro tight end and one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
Stepping in for Brock Purdy at Quarterback was Mac Jones. His performance was special, going way beyond stats. Jones endured hit after jarring hit, refusing to leave the game.
San Francisco was missing Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Nick Bosa. That’s practically all of their starting skill position players and a perennial NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
The Rams scored late in the second quarter, but the 49ers came back and got a field goal. Somehow, the road team with more than a handful of stars out had a 17-7 lead at the half. They were underdogs but they didn’t act like it.
Matthew Stafford had a rough start but got hot in the second half. Puka Nacua continued his dominance with a touchdown catch, and then Williams caught a second touchdown pass, Stafford’s third of the night.
That touchdown tied it 20-20 in the fourth quarter, though the extra point was missed and the game remained tied.
In Overtime, the Rams had a possession to either tie or win it. Stafford immediately got the Rams into field-goal range with a 28-yard pass. On a fourth-and-1, the Rams went for it and the Niners stuffed Williams for no gain.
