Joshua Karty hit four field goals and the Los Angeles Rams survived a slugfest a week after winning the shootout to beat the San Francisco 49ers 12-6 on Thursday night in a key game in the NFC West race.

Four days after defeating Josh Allen and Buffalo 44-42 in the highest-scoring NFL game of the season, the Rams (8-6) overtook the 49ers (6-8) on a rainy night to move within a half-game of the division -leading Seattle. Los Angeles won a game without a touchdown for the first time since 2016.

The Niners led 6-3 early in the fourth quarter but fell short, dealing a major blow to the reigning NFC champions’ dwindling playoff hopes.

This was the fourth time this season that the Niners lost to a division opponent after leading by at least three points in the fourth quarter. They became the first team to do this since New England in 2000 in coach Bill Belichick’s first season with the Patriots.

Karty capped a 17-play drive with a game-winning 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, then hit a 27-yarder after Matthew Stafford hit a 51-yard pass to Puka Nacua.

The Niners then shot within field goal range, but Brock Purdy was intercepted by Darious Williams on a deep pass into the end zone, giving the Rams their first series win against the 49ers since 2018.

Stafford then led a stunning drive capped by Karty’s fourth field goal with 18 seconds to play. Stafford went 16 for 27 for 160 yards, with almost all of the damage coming in the second half.

Purdy finished the game 14 for 31 for 142 yards as the Niners failed to score a touchdown in a game for the first time since 2019.

The first half was played in a pouring rain and had a major impact on the offensive performances as neither team could move the ball.

The Rams had no first downs on their first four drives of a game for the first time since 2013 before hitting a late field goal to tie the game. The Niners took the lead three times and scored a field goal.

The teams combined for 11 punts, nine first downs and 197 yards, four days after setting both season highs in points.

The rain mostly stopped by halftime, but the offenses were still struggling.