INGLEWOOD—With a healthy majority of the crowd wearing gold and red at SoFi it was hard to figure out if the San Francisco 49ers knocked off their arch-rival the Los Angeles Rams, 30-23 on Sunday, September 17. It was as if the Rams were the visiting team at their own stadium.
San Francisco owns the Rams but marks their 9th victory in a row over Los Angeles. Adding insult to injury, every time the Niners scored a touchdown it appeared to reach Taylor Swift decibels.
SF Quarterback Brock Purdy passed for 206 yards and ran for an early touchdown. The 49ers opened up the scoring in the first quarter with a Christian McCaffrey rushing score.
Los Angeles responded and both teams traded blows making big plays throughout which kept this game exciting until the final whistle.
McCaffery was outstanding, especially in the first half. He rushed for 116 yards and a TD in the victory. The 49ers improve to (2-0) on the season, the Rams are (1-1).
Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford looked sharp and had plenty of zip on the ball. He passed for 307 yards and threw a TD pass to Kyren Williams for Los Angeles.
With the game knotted at 17 apiece in the third quarter the Rams were threatening deep in 49ers territory.
Williams caused a key interception when a pass ricocheted off his hands in the third quarter, leading to Jake Moody’s go-ahead, 57-yard field goal. It was the turning point of the game, as the momentum swung in the 49ers favor.
“There was a lot of time left” after that interception, Stafford said. “There’s no more conscientious guy on our team. [Williams] knows he can catch that ball. It’s part of it. I have all the trust in the world in him.”
Another defining moment occurred with one second remaining in the first half. The 49ers were at the Rams one yard line, three 3 feet away from the white chalk of the end zone. Purdy lowered his head and plowed for a QB sneak to land in the end zone, tying the game as both teams headed into the locker room.
In 2023, the Rams best player by far was rookie sensation, Puka Nacua who caught 15 passes for 147 yards.
The fifth-round pick broke the NFL’s single-game record for receptions by a rookie, and he set a new overall league mark with 25 catches in the first two games of his career while the Rams racked up 386 total yards.
Deebo Samuel rushed for an 11-yard TD with 11:28 left; he was tightrope walking the sidelines before ramming (pardon the pun) his way for the decisive TD.
With all of the intrigue, stars and excitement, both of these teams are prime time for week 3. The 49ers Home opener will take place on Thursday, September 21 as they host the New York Giants at Levi’s Stadium.
The Rams will encounter a Super Bowl LVI rematch, visiting the highly agitated Cincinatti Bengals who remain winless on Monday, September 25 on ABC.
