Mac Jones leads Epic 49ers game to OT upset over Rams
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (#10) center passes against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
10.02.25 – 49ers QB2 Mac Jones passed for 342 yards, two touchdowns and Kicker Eddy Piñeiro hit a 41-yard field goal in overtime before San Francisco stopped the Rams on fourth down with 3:36 to play, as the short-handed Niners hung on for a thrilling 26-23 victory over Los Angeles at SOFI stadium
Everything seemed to indicate the 49ers were in for a long night when they traveled south on a short week without Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, George Kittle and their top three wide receivers to face the surging Rams.
The Niners had a long Thursday night, but after nearly 67 minutes featuring innumerable twists and turns, they headed home with an improbable victory that reasserted their dominance in their biggest NFC West rivalry.
“We talked about how tough we had to be for four quarters,” quarterback Jones said. “It came down to who was going to be the toughest team, and I think it was us.”
Jones played through a leg injury for the 49ers (4-1), who scored on their first two drives and led 20-7 late in the third quarter.
Los Angeles finally mounted a rally, but with help from several glaring Rams mistakes, the Niners hung on to win their first OT game since losing Super Bowl 58 in February 2024.
2025.10.02 (SF 49ers vs. LA Rams) Game Highlights
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (#10) center passes against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
2025.10.02 (SF 49ers vs. LA Rams) Game Highlights
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (DF HIGHLIGHT)
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (DF HIGHLIGHT)
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CBS Sports Post Game)
49ers wide receiver (#84) Kendrick Bourne makes a catch in front of the Rams’ (#1) Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the fourth quarter of a 26-23 win in overtime Thursday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles County). Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CBS Sports Post Game)
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CBS Sports Post Game)
Kendrick Bourne had career highs of 10 catches for 142 yards for San Francisco, while Jones played impressively through an apparent leg injury. Christian McCaffrey had 139 total yards for the 49ers, who snapped their three-game losing streak in this rivalry despite the injury absences of Purdy — who is “week to week” with his toe injury, Shanahan revealed — and the majority of their most famous players.
“They were unbelievable,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of his players. “We talked about how long this game was going to be, how focused we had to be, how competitive we had to be for the entire time. Started out great, but it’s a good team. They tightened it up. Got real tight, then lost a number of dudes. We had to overcome losing two D-linemen in that game, and the D-line is still stepping it up big. That was a huge character win.”
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (Krueger Show Post Game)
49ers Kicker Eddy Piñeiro kicks a 41 yard Field Goal of a 26-23 win in overtime Thursday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (Los Angeles County). Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (Krueger Show Post Game)
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (Krueger Show Post Game)
The frantic fourth quarter featured Piñeiro’s tie-breaking 59-yard field goal with 2:52 left, Williams’ subsequent goal-line fumble and Joshua Karty’s tying 48-yard field goal for the Rams (3-2) with 2 seconds to play.
San Francisco then lost starting defensive linemen Kalia Davis and Yetur Gross-Matos to injuries during the game, but rookie backup lineman Alfred Collins made the biggest play of the night when he forced and recovered Williams’ fumble at the goal line with 1:05 left in regulation.
“It was a must-have-it play, because if I didn’t do that, they would have scored,” Collins said. “When I saw the ball, I cocked it back and hit it.”
Collins punched the ball away and fell on it when Williams was inches from scoring a go-ahead TD. Williams lost the ball five days after Indianapolis’ Adonai Mitchell fumbled an instant before crossing the same goal line in the Rams’ 27-20 victory.
“I feel like I let the team down on the 1-yard line,” said Williams, who caught two TD passes.
Matthew Stafford passed for 389 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams, who lost despite racking up 319 yards after halftime. Los Angeles missed a long field goal, had an extra point blocked and fumbled twice deep in 49ers territory.
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CHAT SPORTS Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey (#23) rushes past Inglewood Rams’ Nate Landman in 1st quarter during NFL game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CHAT SPORTS Post Game)
2025.10.02 – SF 49ers vs. LA Rams (CHAT SPORTS Post Game)
Los Angeles still used its three timeouts to force a punt after Wiliams’ fumble and drove to force OT.
Puka Nacua had 10 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first receiver in NFL history with more than 50 catches in his team’s first five games.
“There were moments in the game where we fought back and gave ourselves opportunities to win, and we just didn’t execute on them,” Nacua said.
Purdy sat out for the third time in four games with his toe injury. San Francisco also played without injured receivers Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk — but Jones, Bourne and a fired-up defense did just enough to reassert the Niners’ dominance in this matchup.
Injuries
49ers: Gross-Matos injured his hamstring in the second half and didn’t return. … Davis broke his hand in the first half, Shanahan said. … CB Upton Stout was sidelined late by an ankle injury.
Rams: RT Rob Havenstein and TE Tyler Higbee were inactive.
Up next
49ers: Visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Rams: Visit the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Related: 49ers turnovers spoil Purdy’s return in loss to Jaguars
Related: See below – 49ers rally to beat Lions and secure Super Bowl trip
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
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