FULL BOX SCORE

1. The Rams got an ugly, rain-soaked but important playoff win. Needing an ugly but significant win to maintain their playoff chances, the Cardiac Rams beat the 49ers with the run game when poor conditions hampered both teams’ passing games. If you like rainy field goal battles, this game is for you. The rain continued to fall harder in the first half and the offenses melted away with it. The Rams punted five times in a row. Cooper Kupp It was only the third time in his career that he had zero catches in a game. Things picked up a bit in the second half, but we finished the game with the first touchdown-less game of the 2024 NFL season. Joshua KartyThe fourth field goal of the evening with 20 seconds left prevented this game from becoming the lowest-scoring game of the season. There was even a late reprieve when the Rams called an unforgivable horse-collar penalty on the ensuing kickoff, giving the 49ers a chance to win, but the Rams held on. This has greatly improved their playoff chances, reminiscent of last year’s miracle run, and they now get 10 days off. That’s now seven of their eight wins by a single point margin. You deserve it.
2. The Niners couldn’t replicate Sunday’s performance. On Sunday, the 49ers played as well as they have all season against the Bears, especially in the first half, which served as a reminder of this team’s talent. Four days later – with several injured players returning to the lineup – the Niners failed. The defense gave them a chance by keeping the Rams in complete control in the first half and shutting them out in the red zone (0 for 3). The returns from Dre Greenlawwho is playing his first game since last season’s Super Bowl loss, and Nick Bosa really lifted the device. But Brock Purdy and the passing game was really difficult in the early rain, as he completed just 8 of his 21 passes for 80 yards, two sacks and a pick after the first quarter. The overthrow interception in the end zone was a real blowout as the Niners were down three points with just under five minutes left. The Rams milked the clock and that was that. And while it felt academic before Thursday, it was just about enough for the 49ers’ playoff chances this season. A frustrating but fitting end to an injury-plagued season.
3. Williams sparked the Rams’ faltering offense. Things went poorly for the Rams early on. They went behind on their first possession of the night. Matthew Stafford Early in the game, two of his first four passes were nearly blown off, and by halftime he was 4 of 12 passing for 24 yards. He got hot in the fourth quarter and Puka Nacua gave the Rams a boost with big plays. But when the Rams desperately needed to move the ball and control the clock, the ball went into play Kyren Williams‘Hands. Twice he ran the ball on four plays in a row, and once Williams ran the ball on five plays in a row. He was also a star in pass defense, with a crucial blitz in the second half. Williams finished the game with 108 yards on 28 carries, none of which were longer than 10 yards, but 10 of his runs went for five yards or more. Let’s give Karty his support for a 4-on-4 kick and punter Ethan Evans was also huge. But without Williams, the Rams offense might have remained stuck in neutral for longer.
4. Deebo’s decline continued with another rough night. Some of the offensive problems can be attributed to the wet fields – both teams were clearly affected by them – but the 49ers still couldn’t prevail Deebo Samuel in the midst of one of his worst slumps. Samuel expressed frustration with his role in the offense and there appeared to be a concerted effort to get him the ball early, with four touches in the first ten plays. But little worked early on, with a false start on third down in the first half and a nasty drop midway through the third quarter on third-and-10 that would have been a first down – and could were a touchdown. Samuel finished the game with three catches for 16 yards (on seven targets) and two runs for 3 yards. That’s now five straight games for him with 35 scrimmage yards or fewer. There’s also something wrong with the weather here. With Christian McCaffrey And Brandon Aiyuk After elimination, the 49ers need Samuel, even if the remainder of the season will be played primarily for pride at this point.
5. The Rams defense comes up big. Let’s not finish without giving a nod to the Rams’ defense, which only allowed the 49ers to cross midfield three times on Thursday, allowing a total of six points. On the third possession in Rams territory, with the 49ers trying to take the lead in a 9-6 game with just over five minutes left, Darious Williams made the game a game. He wasn’t fooled Jauan Jennings Double move, read Purdy’s throw perfectly and intercepted the deep ball in the end zone. The Rams then went on the game-winning drive. But, just to be safe, after the late kickoff snafu, Christian Rozeboom fired Brock Purdy to put an end to it. The Rams provided good pressure all night long, preventing Purdy from getting comfortable in the pocket or making big downfield completions. Kobie Turner had the Rams’ other two sacks as well as five pressures. Byron Young made some big stops. Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon were great at reporting. The weather might have helped, but the Rams’ D stepped up.

Insight into next-gen stats for the Rams-49ers (via NFL Pro): Puka Nacua caught seven of eight targets for 97 yards and moved on 48% of his snaps (24 times), the second-highest rate of his career. Nacua now has 443 scrimmage yards on plays in motion this season, the most in the NFL and the third-most of any player since 2018.

NFL Research: The 49ers’ six points were the second fewest in the Kyle Shanahan era, trailing only the three points they scored against the Panthers in Week 1, 2017 – Shanahan’s first game as head coach.