Everything seemed to indicate the San Francisco 49ers were in for a long night on a short week. They traveled south to face the surging Los Angeles Rams without Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, George Kittle and their top three wide receivers.
A long night it was — but one that ended with an improbable triumph. After nearly 67 minutes of twists and turns, the 49ers left SoFi Stadium with a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory that reasserted their grip on the NFC West rivalry.
Eddy Piñeiro nailed a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and San Francisco’s battered defense sealed the win when Marques Sigle and Deommodore Lenoir stuffed Kyren Williams on fourth-and-1 at the 49ers’ 11-yard line with 3:36 remaining.
“We were running on fumes,” head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted. “But our guys kept fighting, and they found a way.”
Quarterback Jones — playing through a leg injury — threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns while leading the injury-ravaged Niners (4-1). He started hot, guiding San Francisco to touchdowns on its first two drives, and the 49ers held a 20-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Kendrick Bourne had a career night, hauling in 10 passes for 142 yards, while Christian McCaffrey racked up 139 total yards as the offense found ways to move the ball despite missing nearly all of its star playmakers.
Purdy missed his third game in four weeks with a toe injury, and the Niners were also without wideouts Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. The attrition didn’t stop there: San Francisco lost defensive linemen Kalia Davis and Yetur Gross-Matos during the game.
Yet a rookie backup — defensive lineman Alfred Collins — made one of the night’s defining plays. With just over a minute left in regulation, Collins punched the ball loose from Williams at the goal line and recovered it, denying the Rams a go-ahead touchdown.
The Rams (3-2) piled up 389 passing yards from Matthew Stafford, who threw three touchdowns, and 319 yards after halftime. Rookie sensation Puka Nacua caught 10 passes for 85 yards and a score, becoming the first receiver in NFL history with more than 50 catches through his team’s first five games.
But Los Angeles left too many points on the table. They missed a long field goal, had an extra point blocked, and fumbled twice deep in 49ers territory.
The most painful mistake came in the overtime finale. After Stafford marched the Rams deep into San Francisco territory, head coach Sean McVay bypassed a potential tying field goal on fourth-and-1 from the 11. He called a run play — a decision he admitted afterward he regretted. Williams was swallowed up by San Francisco defenders before he could reach the line to gain.
“It’s on me,” McVay said. “I should’ve given Matthew the chance to win it there.”
The fourth quarter was chaos. Piñeiro drilled a 59-yard field goal with 2:52 left to give the Niners a 23-20 lead. On the ensuing drive, Williams lost his crucial fumble at the goal line. San Francisco punted after being forced into a three-and-out, and Stafford led the Rams back into range. Rookie kicker Joshua Karty forced overtime with a 48-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.
In overtime, Jones guided the 49ers to Piñeiro’s fourth field goal of the night before the defense closed the door.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak in the rivalry and marked San Francisco’s first overtime win since falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.
“This was a gut check,” Bourne said. “We didn’t have a lot of our guys, but the guys we did have made plays.”
For the Rams, the loss was a bitter reminder of missed opportunities. For the 49ers, it was a reminder — even without their stars, they still know how to finish the fight.
