Rams beat 49ers moves them closer to top of NFC West

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 12-6 on Thursday night, moving them closer to the top of the NFC West and a playoff spot.

According to ESPN Analytics, the Rams have a 35% chance of making the playoffs and a 32% chance of winning the division. After the win, those numbers rose significantly: Entering the weekend, the Rams’ chances of making the playoffs were 52% and 49%, respectively.

Perhaps most importantly, the Rams continue to be in control of their own destiny with three games remaining. The Rams end their season at the New York Jets, home to the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.

Led by head coach Sean McVay, the Rams have reached the playoffs in five of the past seven seasons, including appearances in Super Bowl 53 and Super Bowl 56 victory.

The Rams currently sit at 8-6 and are half a game behind the NFC West leading Seattle Seahawks.

But if the Rams want to make the playoffs, they’ll need some consistency from their offense, which has been a struggle this season.

Just four days after scoring a season-high 44 points against the division-championship Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles struggled to control the ball on a rainy night.

In the first half, the Rams totaled 89 yards of offense, a season low. They came out on top in the second half, finishing with 302 yards in the victory.

QB breakdownQuarterback Matthew Stafford took the field Thursday and has thrown multiple touchdown passes without an interception in four straight games, tying the longest active streak in the NFL and tied for the longest active streak of his career. . He didn’t extend that streak Thursday night, completing 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards and no touchdowns in a game.

Jaw-dropping statistics: For the first time since Sean McVay took over in 2017, the Rams failed to get a first down on their first four possessions, according to ESPN Research. A week after scoring a season-high 44 points, Los Angeles ended the game with just 14 first downs.

Describe this game in two words: Starts slowly. On Thursday night against the 49ers, the Rams failed to score in the first quarter for the ninth time this season. The team is tied with the Bears for second in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. In extremely wet conditions, they couldn’t find a way to consistently run the ball or get the ball to receivers in space, which put extra pressure on the defense. ——Sarah Barshop

Next game: Jets (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Dec. 22)

For much of the past five years, whenever the 49ers needed a thrilling win to propel them into the playoffs, they tended to get it against the Rams.

On the surface, Thursday night’s game sets the stage for the Niners to write another successful chapter in their rivalry with Los Angeles and inject some energy into their fledgling playoff hopes. The return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and defensive end Nick Bosa from injury provides an extra spark to a team that has spent the past two weeks expressing its desperation to make the playoffs.

As has been the story of San Francisco this season, it wasn’t enough. For a team that has won the NFC West, Thursday’s loss leaves the Niners no longer the division kings.

It was just three points, but for the fourth time this year the Niners gave up a lead of three or more in the fourth quarter against an NFC West opponent. That made them the first team to do so since the 2000 New England Patriots, and effectively killed their hopes of a third straight division title and a playoff berth.

Sure, there’s some remote math for the Niners still sneaking in, but at 6-8 overall and 1-4 in the conference, they have to win. Considering they haven’t won more than two games in a row this year, it’s hard to imagine that’s possible.

The next four weeks should only reveal more about where the Niners are headed in 2025.

phosphorusOptimistic trends: In tight, low-scoring games like Thursday’s, special teams play a big role in the outcome. While the Niners entered this game ranked 32nd in the league in expected points on special teams, no one was pointing fingers at this team against the Rams.

Kicker Jake Moody made a field goal, punter Pat O’Donnell performed steadily, and punt returner Jacob Cowing averaged 10.2 yards per return.. It wasn’t a perfect performance (they were hit with two 5-yard penalties on punts), but the Niners generally had no serious turnovers in the third period. This is enough to qualify.

QB breakdown: Brock Purdy had a largely solid performance despite the rain not doing him any favors, but the decision to pass deep into an interception was the biggest mistake of the game.

Although Purdy has struggled in poor weather conditions in other games, his numbers on Thursday should be better than usual. Receivers Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel Sr. combined for multiple passes, including a possible touchdown on Samuel’s tilt up the middle in the third quarter. Purdy was 14-of-31 for 142 yards and one interception.

Key gameplay: With just over five minutes left in the game, the Niners faced second-and-10 from the Rams’ 33.

But quarterback Purdy ignored the situation and attempted to pull Jennings out deep down the right sideline with a long pass. Rams cornerback Darius Williams caught the ball in the end zone for a touchdown that killed off the drive. ——Nick Wagner

Next game: Dolphins (Sunday, Dec. 22, 4:25 p.m. ET)