Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams came back perfect on Sunday afternoon.
After Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers led for most of the game thanks to a stellar performance from wide receiver Jauan Jennings, the Rams scored 13 straight points to close out the game and win 27-24 at SoFi Stadium.
With that, the Rams secured their first win of the season, falling to the 49ers – who were without stars Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel Sr. and George Kittle due to various injuries – 1-2 on the season.
Stafford, which had fallen into a 21-7 hole just after halftime, nibbled away at San Francisco’s lead in the second half. Running back Kyren Williams capped a quick drive late in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run, his second of the day after a 15-yard catch in the second quarter.
Then, after both teams traded field goals early in the fourth quarter, Stafford mounted a quick TD drive that lasted less than a minute to tie the game for the first time since the opening minutes. He found wide receiver Tutu Atwell deep for 50 yards down the sideline to get the Rams inside the 5-yard line and eventually set up another Williams touchdown.
The Rams then forced a quick punt to get the ball back, and Stafford opened the drive by drawing a pass interference call to immediately put them in field-goal position. That led to Joshua Karty’s 37-yard field goal, the first game-winning kick of his career.
Stafford went 16 of 26 for 221 yards and a touchdown in the win. Williams had 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, followed by 27 yards and a touchdown on a pair of catches. Atwell led the way through the air with 93 yards on four catches. The Rams are still without star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who are out with ankle and knee injuries, respectfully.
Purdy looked solid most of the game without his weapons, going 22 of 30 for 292 yards with three touchdowns and adding 41 rushing yards on 10 carries. Jordan Mason added 77 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Jennings had a career outing for the 49ers, throwing for three touchdowns and collecting 175 receiving yards on 11 catches. It was the first game of his career in which he had over 100 receiving yards. He is now the first 49ers wide receiver to have three receiving touchdowns in the same game since Terrell Owens did it in 2001.
McCaffrey has not played for San Francisco this season, battling a calf injury and Achilles tendinitis. He has been placed on the injured list and will miss at least two more games. Kittle was ruled out Saturday with a hamstring injury and Samuel with a calf injury. The latter two injuries do not appear to be as serious as McCaffrey’s.
It led to a rare moment for the 49ers. They haven’t played without McCaffrey, Kittle and Samuel at the same time in their last 30 regular-season games since acquiring McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 campaign. It was also the Niners’ first game without both Kittle and Samuel since a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.
While the 49ers nearly pulled it off without the offensive trio, their absence was felt late Sunday afternoon. The 49ers will look to snap their two-game losing streak next week against the New England Patriots.
