SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s happening.
Again.
The Rams rebounded from a dismal first half of the season and they are making a run for the playoffs.
Again.
Despite a nebulous performance on offense against the San Francisco 49ers, coach Sean McVay’s team is now the one nobody in the NFL wants to play.
Again.
On Thursday night, the Rams defeated the 49ers 12-6 at Levi’s Stadium.
Joshua Karty kicked four field goals, Kyren Williams rushed for 108 yards, and cornerback Darious Williams intercepted a fourth-quarter pass as the Rams improved their record to 8-6.
While it might not have been painful to watch, it left the Rams feeling great.
With good reason.
The Rams have won three games in a row for the first time in a season that began with a 1-4 start. They also swept the 49ers for the first time since 2018, when McVay led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII in his second season.
In September, the Rams needed a patented Matthew Stafford fourth-quarter comeback and a last-second field goal by Karty to beat the 49ers 27-24 at SoFi Stadium.
Stafford mostly struggled Thursday — he completed 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards — but Karty was perfect, making kicks from 48, 23, 27 and 29 yards.
The Rams were coming off a 44-42 victory over the powerful Buffalo Bills, a win that showcased a seemingly consistent offense along with a defense that struggled in matchups against powerful offenses such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Bills.
The Rams remain in second place in the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks (8-5) are in first place, the Arizona Cardinals (6-7) in third, and the defending NFC-champion 49ers (6-8) are probably out of the playoff hunt.
With the victory, the Rams have a mini-bye of sorts this weekend before traveling to play the New York Jets next Sunday.
They will finish the season with home games against the Cardinals and the Seahawks.
The score was tied, 3-3, at halftime as both offenses struggled to execute in the rain.
The skies cleared after halftime but the Rams remained in a fog: They went three and out on the first possession of the third quarter.
The Rams got a break when 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel dropped a third-down pass over the middle that might have resulted in a big play or touchdown. Instead, the 49ers had to settle for another Jake Moody field goal and a 6-3 lead.
Then the Rams’ offense finally came together.
Sort of.
Stafford directed a 17-play, 65-yard drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes. The Rams got to the four-yard line before penalties killed the threat and forced the Rams to settle for another Karty field goal early in the fourth quarter.
After forcing the 49ers to punt, the Rams finally cut loose.
Sort of.
Stafford connected with Puka Nacua for a 51-yard pass play that moved the ball inside the 20-yard line, but the drive stalled and the Rams settled for Karty’s third field goal.
The 49ers then drove to the Rams’ 34-yard line, but Williams’ interception in the end zone quelled the threat.
The Rams got the ball with just over 5 minutes left and used nearly all of it during a drive that ended with Karty’s final field goal with 18 seconds left.
