The 49ers’ 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on “Thursday Night Football” virtually eliminated San Francisco from the 2024 NFL playoff race.

But that’s not all.

Week 15’s ugly, rainy game at Levi’s Stadium saw a shift in bragging rights from the 49ers to the Rams as LA beat San Francisco in a season for the first time since 2018.

“Being able to do that, knowing how good they are as a team and knowing the history of the two organizations is great,” said LA running back Kyren Williams (h/t Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “And it shows that we are big brothers now.”

Big brothers indeed. Sorry, faithful.

San Francisco had a 10-game winning streak against LA until suffering a worthless 21-20 loss in Week 18 of the 2023 season. Including the Jan. 7 matinee, the 49ers have now lost three straight to their Southern California NFC West rivals.

Under coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have fared well against the Rams and still lead the series 10-7. However, Los Angeles and coach Sean McVay accomplished more in the same time frame.

The Rams won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 and even defeated the 49ers in that season’s NFC Championship Game. San Francisco, meanwhile, has yet to bring home a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy, despite facing Patrick Mahomes and the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in the big game twice in five years.

McVay and his Rams apparently ended the 49ers’ 2024 NFL season last night. LA improved to 8-6 and had a good chance to win the NFC West, while San Francisco fell to 6-8 and remains the division’s gatekeeper.

As Williams said, the Rams are currently the “big brothers” in the Southern California-Northern California rivalry. Barring a playoff meeting, the 49ers will have to wait for their next season to regain bragging rights.

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