REPORT: Rams' Wild Win Was Massive for Playoff Hopes

The Los Angeles Rams inched closer to the playoffs with a road win over the San Francisco 49ers. However, it was not pretty.

Dec 12, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht (97) reacts after the Rams made a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams won an exciting game against an NFC West foe on Thursday night. Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports noted how unique the game between the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers was on Thursday Night Football.

"In the fourth quarter, Amazon flashed a stunning stat: In 152 meetings between the 49ers and Rams, Thursday night was the first time there were no touchdowns scored through three quarters. The 49ers should have had a touchdown in the third quarter, but Samuel had a bad drop over the middle on a third down. The Rams finally got an explosive play to Puka Nacua downfield, but again they couldn’t punch in a touchdown. They kicked a field goal to take a 9-6 lead."

Schwab noted that the 49ers' chances of making the playoffs dropped significantly with the loss. The Rams essentially ended the season's over.

"The 49ers’ season was on the line," Schwab said. "At 6-7 coming in, they probably needed to win out. They hadn’t put together one touchdown drive all night. But if they wanted to stay alive in the playoff hunt, they needed to figure out a way. The ball was moving. Then Purdy got impatient, and on second-and-11 he badly overthrew a deep ball to Jauan Jennings, and it was picked off by Rams corner Darious Williams with 5:14 to play.

"The 49ers got buried after that. The Rams went on a clock-eating drive, and inside of the two-minute warning, the Rams hit a huge third-down pass to tight end Colby Parkinson when he got a free release off the line. When the 49ers needed that stop to keep any realistic hope alive, they couldn’t get it.

"The Rams kicked a field goal with 18 seconds left. The 49ers have lost four of their past five games. It’s a team that should still be in a Super Bowl window and that might resume next season. Injuries have certainly set San Francisco back. But being 6-8 in mid-December isn’t what the 49ers expected. If there was hope at a late-season turnaround, that melted away in the rain on Thursday night."

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