The Los Angeles Rams came into the week having already clinched a playoff berth, but they didn’t know who they’d be facing in the first round until Sunday’s late-afternoon games finished. With a win, the Rams clinched the No. 6 seed and snapped their nine-game regular-season losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers, setting up a date with the Detroit Lions next weekend in the wild-card round.
The Rams held on to beat the 49ers, 21-20, thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback by Carson Wentz, who scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown with about 5 minutes left. He then threw a pass to Tutu Atwell to convert the two-point conversion, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead.
Both teams rested starters, including Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Cooper Kupp and Christian McCaffrey, leading to a Carson Wentz vs. Sam Darnold battle at quarterback.
Here’s a quick recap of how the game went.
Final score: Rams 21, 49ers 20
Game notes
- Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson were the starting wide receivers, with Ronnie Rivers at running back and Davis Allen at tight end.
- Defensively, the Rams rotated their big men up front much more than normal, giving Earnest Brown IV some opportunities with Aaron Donald. Kobie Turner also played fewer snaps than he typically does but his presence was still felt.
- Nacua caught a 19-yard touchdown pass on the Rams’ opening drive to tie the game at seven, which also tied the rookie receiving yards record. Nacua went on to break the record in the second half, finishing with four catches for 41 yards and a touchdown, giving him the most catches and receiving yards ever by a rookie in one season.
- Allen was a favorite target for Wentz early in the game, catching four passes for 25 yards in the first half. He was on the receiving end of four of Wentz’s first six completions.
- Wentz showed good mobility throughout the game, not only avoiding pressure in the pocket but also scrambling when the play broke down to pick up key yardage. He rushed 17 times for 56 yards. Wentz’s 17 carries were the most by a Rams quarterback since 1950.
- Brycen Hopkins showed up with Tyler Higbee resting, too. He caught two passes for 47 yards, including an 18-yarder down the seam and another 29-yarder in the second half.
- Troy Reeder and Jordan Fuller both left the game with injuries and did not return. It’s understandable that the Rams would want to play it safe with both players after they got a bit banged up.
- Michael Hoecht and Byron Young both recorded sacks in this one, the only two sacks by the Rams against the 49ers on Sunday.
It was over when…
… Sam Darnold fumbled the ball on the 49ers’ final offensive play with 33 seconds left, which was recovered by Byron Young. The Rams took over and the 49ers had no timeouts left, so they were able to kneel once and end the game.
3 stars of the game
No. 3 star: Russ Yeast — 7 tackles, 2 PBU
No. 2 star: Carson Wentz — 17-for-24, 163 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT. 17 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
No. 1 star: Puka Nacua — 4 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD, 2 rookie receiving records
Play of the game
It wasn’t the biggest play in the game, but it was the most significant. This was the play in which Nacua broke the rookie receiving yards record, giving him more than Bill Groman’s 1,473 from the 1960 season. One play later, Nacua broke the record for the most receptions by a rookie with 105.
What's next?
The Rams will head to Detroit for a first-round matchup with the Lions. It’ll be Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit, facing a Lions team he spent 12 years with but never won a postseason game as a member of. Jared Goff will also face the Rams, who he led to the Super Bowl in 2018 but was traded to the Lions in 2021 as part of the blockbuster Stafford deal.
