Rams outlast 49ers on Thursday Night Football, top 2 NFC West teams creating separation
Dec 12, 2024, 9:25 PM | Updated: 9:30 pm
SANTA CLARA (AP) — Joshua Karty kicked four field goals and the Los Angeles Rams survived a slugfest a week after winning a shootout, beating the San Francisco 49ers 12-6 on Thursday night in a key game in the NFC West race.
Four days after beating Josh Allen and Buffalo 44-42 in the NFL’s highest-scoring game of the season, the Rams (8-6) outlasted the 49ers (6-8) on a rainy night to move within a half-game of division-leading Seattle (8-5).
The Rams have won three straight games, while the Seahawks are on a four-game winning streak with a home matchup against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday. The third-place Arizona Cardinals (6-7) have dropped three straight games, while the 49ers have now lost four of five. San Francisco’s playoff odds are down to 1%.
NFC West standings heading into the weekend 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6UV1ZrSXkG
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 13, 2024
Los Angeles won a game without a touchdown for the first time since 2016.
The Niners led 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter but came up short, dealing a major blow to the dwindling playoff hopes for the defending NFC champions.
This marked the fourth time this season that the Niners lost to a division opponent after leading by at least three points in the fourth quarter, making them the first team to do that since New England in 2000 in coach Bill Belichick’s first season with the Patriots.
Karty capped a 17-play drive with a game-tying 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and then hit a 27-yarder after Matthew Stafford connected on a 51-yard pass to Puka Nacua.
The Niners then drove into field-goal range but Brock Purdy was intercepted on a deep pass into the end zone by Darious Williams, helping the Rams secure their first series sweep against the 49ers since 2018.
Stafford then led a clock-killing drive that was 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 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 downpour and it had a major impact on the offensive performances with neither team able to move the ball.
The Rams had no first downs on their first four drives of a game for the first time since 2013 before getting a late field goal to tie the game. The Niners went three-and-out three times.
The teams combined for 11 punts, nine first downs and 197 yards four days after they both had season highs in points.
The rain mostly stopped at halftime but the offenses still struggled.
49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw returned for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl last season. He had eight tackles in the first half but played sparingly in the second half.
The Rams visit the New York Jets on Dec. 22, and the 49ers visit Miami on Dec. 22.
