49ers snag 23-20 win over Rams on last-second Robbie Gould field goal

The first-ever visit to the recently-opened SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California was one to remember for the San Francisco 49ers.

After controlling the game with their defense for the better part of three quarters while opening up a 17-3 lead, the 49ers fell behind early in the fourth after giving up 17 quick points. But the 49ers tied the game at 20 on a Robbie Gould field goal with just over three minutes to play, then walked out of SoFi Stadium with a win when Gould connected from 42 yards as time expired to seal a 23-20 win.

The 49ers were led on offense by wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who had 11 catches for 134 yards in his first game action since injuring his hamstring against the New England Patriots in Week 7, and quarterback Nick Mullens, who finished with 253 yards and one interception on 24-of-35 passing. The 49ers held Rams quarterback Jared Goff to 198 yards on 19-of-31 passing with two interceptions.

As It Happened

The defenses stood out for each team early in the game, starting with the Rams holding the 49ers to a three-and-out on the opening possession. The 49ers responded by taking the ball back after recovering a fumble by running back Malcolm Brown, who had the ball jarred loose after being hit by safety Jimmie Ward. But the Rams soon notched a takeaway of their own when safety Jordan Fuller picked off a Nick Mullens pass that was deflected by defensive tackle Aaron Donald to give their offense possession at their own 27-yard line.

The Rams turned that takeaway into a 3-0 lead after getting a 48-yard field goal from Matt Gay, but that lead turned out to be short-lived. The 49ers responded to the field goal by taking a 7-3 lead after a five-play, 75-yard drive that finished with an eight-yard touchdown run from Raheem Mostert, who was playing in his first game since sustaining an ankle injury against the Rams in Week 6. Also chipping in on the drive was Samuel, who accounted for 59 yards on two receptions.

The teams traded turnovers again on the next two possessions when an interception from 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman at the Rams' 36-yard line was immediately followed by a fumble by 49ers running back Jeff Wilson that was recovered by defensive end Malcolm Fox. The Rams were held to a three-and-out after the fumble but responded by holding the 49ers to a three-and-out of their own, which gave the Rams possession at their own 35-yard line after a punt from Mitch Wishnowsky.

Wishnowsky's punt was the first of five consecutive punts between the two teams, a streak that was snapped with 30 seconds left in the second quarter when the 49ers took possession after defensive lineman Kerry Hyder recovered the second forced fumble of the half by Jimmie Ward, this one coming on a hit on quarterback Jared Goff.

The 49ers then moved the ball into field goal range after an 18-yard pass from Mullens to Kendrick Bourne but came up short when a 50-yard attempt by Robbie Gould sailed wide right with two seconds left in the half. Team stats at the half were fairly even with the score remaining at 7-3, as the 49ers held an eight-second advantage in time of possession and a 195 to 135 edge in total yardage, while both teams finished the half with eight first downs apiece. The 49ers did have a clear edge on the ground, out-rushing the Rams 85 to 39.

The second half picked up where the first half left off for the 49ers defense -- with a turnover. This one came on the second play of the half when Goff threw the ball under pressure into the hands of defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who rumbled into the end zone for a 27-yard score and a 14-3 lead.

Three consecutive three-and-outs followed the touchdown, then the 49ers got on the board again with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter when Gould connected on a 46-yard field goal to complete a 10-play, 55-yard drive. The highlight of the drive came on a 26-yard catch and run by Samuel, who used his tackle-breaking ability to advance the 49ers into Rams territory.

The Rams answered with a 41-yard field goal of their own, cutting the lead to 17-6 with 2:38 left in the third quarter after a seven-play, 53-yard drive. The Rams moved into field goal range on the drive after a 33-yard catch by wide receiver Cooper Kupp and a 14-yard catch by wide receiver Josh Reynolds, but the 49ers defense stiffened and kept the Rams from moving past the 22-yard line.

Things quickly took an unexpected turn in the wrong direction from there for the 49ers, who made two significant mistakes before the end of the third quarter that allowed the Rams to take the lead. The first mistake came on the initial offensive play following the field goal when a forced fumble by Aaron Donald on Raheem Mostert was recovered by cornerback Troy Hill, who returned the ball 22 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-13.

The Rams held the 49ers to a punt on the next possession, then made another big play when running back Cam Akers broke free on a 61-yard run to give the Rams a first-and-goal at the seven-yard line as the third quarter came to a close. Akers scored two plays later from one yard out, giving the Rams a 20-17 advantage.

The teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions, then the 49ers tied the game at 20 with 3:11 remaining in the fourth quarter when Gould connected on a 44-yard field goal. The 49ers' defense held the Rams to a punt after five plays, giving their offense possession with 2:10 left in the game.

The 49ers moved into Rams territory after a 24-yard catch and an eight-yard catch by Samuel, then faced a fourth-and-one at the Rams' 39-yard line three plays later with 35 seconds left in the game. The 49ers picked up the first down on a run by fullback Kyle Juszczyk, then moved to the 29-yard line with four seconds to play after a four-yard completion to Samuel and a four-yard run by Mostert. The Rams let the 49ers move five yards closer after an offsides penalty on cornerback Jalen Ramsey, then Gould connected from 42 yards out to give the 49ers the win.

The win puts the 49ers at 5-6 on the season, snapping a skid of three consecutive losses. The Rams moved to 7-4 on the season with the loss, falling into second place in the NFC West behind the 7-3 Seattle Seahawks, who play at Philadelphia on Monday night.

Notes

With the win, the 49ers now hold a 73-67-3 edge in their series with the Rams... According to fivethirtyeight.com (via Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee), the 49ers now have a 25 percent chance of making the playoffs after holding just an 11 percent chance coming into the day... The 49ers entered into the game having won their last three matchups against the Rams and seven of the last ten, with the latest being a 24-16 home win on October 18... The Rams were 6.5-point favorites in the game and were coming off wins over the Seahawks and Buccaneers... The 49ers headed into Week 12 with a league-leading 25 players to have spent time on injured reserve for a total of 171 games... Kinlaw's interception was the first of his NFL career after being selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He had zero interceptions in three seasons at the University of South Carolina... According to Pro Football Focus, 83 of Samuel's 133 yards against the Rams came after contact, which is the highest total for any NFL receiver so far this season.

Up Next

The 49ers are scheduled to host the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football on December 7 (8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST, ESPN), but there's still uncertainty over where the game will be played after Santa Clara County implemented a temporary sports ban due to COVID-19. Reports out Sunday morning mentioned Arizona as the most likely location for upcoming 49ers home games. The Bills (8-3) are coming off a 27-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers after beginning Week 12 as the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff race.

The Rams travel to Arizona next week for a Sunday afternoon game against the Cardinals (4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST, FOX). The Cardinals fell to 6-5 on the season earlier today with a 20-17 road loss to the Patriots.