The script is familiar.
Fourth quarter or overtime. Rams trail or are tied. On comes Matthew Stafford.
The veteran quarterback is the master of comebacks.
And he appeared to be on the verge of doing it again on Thursday night against the rival San Francisco 49ers.
Advertisement
But the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams on a fourth-and-one play at the 49ers’ 11-yard line, sending the Rams to a 26-23 overtime defeat before 73,652 at SoFi Stadium.
After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay blamed himself for the failed fourth-down run, saying “it was a bad call by me.”
Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to Williams and another to Puka Nacua, but on a night when the Rams’ kicking woes continued, it was not enough to beat an injury-riddled opponent as the Rams fell to 3-2 and wasted an opportunity to take over first place in the NFC West.
Rams kicker Joshua Karty, who last year beat the 49ers with a winning field goal at SoFi Stadium, missed a long field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked, the second time that has happened this season. His kickoff in overtime did not reach the landing zone, giving the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.
Advertisement
The 49ers improved to 4-1, with victories over the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.
McVay this week good-naturedly blamed his late grandfather John McVay for creating so many 49ers fans by helping assemble 49ers teams that won five Super Bowls.
And McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, his former mentor, have squared off for some classic matchups, including the NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium in January 2022.
But these were not the same 49ers — at least on paper.
San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins (95) celebrates with teammates after forcing Rams running back Kyren Williams to fumble at the goal line late in the fourth quarter Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
With quarterback Brock Purdy receiving a massive extension before the season, the 49ers let go of numerous high-profile stars that helped them make two Super Bowl appearances in the last six years.
Advertisement
Even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is with the Rams.
Journeyman Mac Jones started in place of Purdy, who is nursing a toe injury. Tight end George Kittle, receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings and star defensive end Nick Bosa also did not play.
But the 49ers still prevailed.
Mac Jones completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Read more: Puka Nacua’s stunning start reminiscent of Cooper Kupp’s historic Rams season
Christian McCaffrey caught eight passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 57 yards in 22 carries.
The score was tied 23-23 at the end of regulation after the Rams blew a chance to win when Williams fumbled at the 49ers’ one-yard line — but then tied the score on Karty’s 48-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Advertisement
Piniero’s 41-yard field goal gave the 49ers the lead.
The Rams then drove from their 33 to the 49ers’ 11, where their hopes for a victory ended.
Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Read the full article here