49ers Notebook: Kendrick Bourne’s career night; What’s changed about Mac Jones from his Pats days? Alfred Collins’ big rise; Sean McVay’s no good, very bad call

More often than not, the 49ers and Rams seem to put on a show when they face off. Thursday's edition was yet another memorable chapter, as a shorthanded 49ers team gutted out a 26-23 overtime win against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

The win moved the 49ers to 4-1 on the season, against all odds. This is a team that has been without its starting quarterback for three games this season as well as several of its best players. They've had trouble running the football despite having Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. at running back, and on defense they have zero interceptions in five games. But aside from a stinker five days ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they've been able to overcome everything and put themselves atop the NFC West.

"I've just been real proud of the guys every week," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win Thursday. "Even last week when we lost, I was disappointed with the turnovers we had, some mistakes we had, but I was just proud with the character of our team and how they battled. I've really enjoyed these guys since OTAs. We've got a real strong group."

The 49ers now get a mini-break before traveling to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers in Week 6. They'll be more than happy to take the rest, which they need after taking on so many injuries over the first five games. They don't appear to be looking beyond that, but there's plenty of reason for long-term optimism if players can heal up and stay healthy, and if the team can fix the main shortcomings of the first five weeks along the way.

"I don't really have a view of big picture right now," Shanahan said. "I look at us as enjoying these three days off, which guys have earned, is very well needed. We need it right now. We've got a while before our bye week, which I think is sometime in December. So we're going to enjoy these three days and come back and keep trying to get better every day."

Let's head into the weekend off with a 49ers Notebook full of goodies, including Kendrick Bourne's thoughts on his career night, as well as why he thinks Mac Jones is a different quarterback than he was in New England. Plus we'll get into the rise of second-round pick Alfred Collins, which hit a new peak Thursday night with one of the biggest plays of the season. And we'll check in on Rams head coach Sean McVay, who couldn't have been harder on himself after the call he made at the end of Thursday night's game...

What a difference a week makes

The 49ers obviously needed someone to step up in the receiving department Thursday night due to the absences of Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, rib). It was a good bet that one of those would be Christian McCaffrey, and he did exactly that with eight catches for 89 yards and one touchdown. But past McCaffrey, it was anyone's guess what the 49ers would get out of their pass catchers on Thursday night.

It turned out to be a night to remember for wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who was coming off a rough outing with three drops against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bourne had another drop against the Rams on Thursday, but he more than made up for it by catching his other 10 targets for a career-high 142 yards.

Bourne, who is in his second stint with the 49ers after spending his first four seasons in the Bay, put on a performance on Thursday that justified the team's decision to add him just under a month ago when they were looking for receiver depth. His first four games saw some ups and downs, but once he got in a zone Thursday night, Bourne made one big catch after another and was instrumental in the victory.

"I just want to thank God for the opportunity," Bourne said. "Last week was very tough on me. Just the adversity I went through and the standard I hold myself to and the things I want to do for my teammates, first and foremost, for the fans, for the organization. I hold myself to a higher standard, so that was tough. And so today is, it's a blessing."

As mentioned, Bourne had to fight through a key drop against the Rams, which came on a third down play. The drop killed a drive that could have led to the 49ers adding to an early 14-0 lead. But Bourne shook it off and didn't let it get into his head the rest of the way.

"I look at it as it falls on me," Bourne said. "Third and five, I'm wide open to catch a five-yard route. Mac trusting me, goes right through my hands, you know. I'm like, 'Man.' So, it's just adversity. And I think it's a game within a game. It's a mental game on the sideline that every individual player is having. Whether it's good, bad, it's a mental thing. So, how do I work within that while I'm playing? And I think that's what I learned from last week is how to flush the good, flush the bad. I know how to do it, but week to week is different, and every situation is different."

In the end, the 49ers wouldn't have won without Bourne, who played a big part in Jones' 342-yard passing performance.

"I just want to thank God," Bourne said. "But the offense, it was awesome to be a part of. Mac Jones, O-line fighting, running backs, tight ends -- man, just collectively we played well. It was tough for us to get in the end zone, but collectively, we played sound."

And what a difference a change in scenery makes

Mac Jones was the big story to come from Thursday's game, as he fought through knee pain and arm pain to lead the 49ers to a win over a Rams team that wasn't having much trouble moving the ball through the air behind quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns on 30-of-47 passing. Bourne, who played with Jones in New England from 2021 to 2023, said the Jones he's seeing with the 49ers is different from the one he saw when the two were with the Patriots.

"I think Mac is just built the right way," Bourne said. "His mental is the right way. He prepares the right way. I've seen it for a while now. And I'm just proud of him. Even when he's throwing the ball, you can tell in practice, he's just zipping the ball. You can tell he's confident and things like that. It's just awesome to see him in this space. How I (saw) him in New England was a different world for him, so to see him now, with the peace he has, that he's playing free and having fun, I think it's a big part of the game for him, so it's showing."

What changed for Jones now that he's away from the Patriots? According to Bourne, it might simply have to do with no longer having to deal with the expectations of being a first-round draft pick.

"It's tough," Bourne said. "It's pressure. First-round pick, everything falls on him. He's young, he has to figure it out, and that's tough for anybody. I don't know what that feels like; I was an undrafted guy. But you just see it being a fan of the game. It's tough. So that's stuff is just different. Every situation is different. Coaching is different. I think now he fits the system. The system is important for a lot of players, and it shows in his game."

The 49ers are certainly happy to have Jones in his current state, which has been more than good enough to keep the team winning in the absence of Brock Purdy.

Big Alfred on the rise

Rookie defensive tackle and second-round pick Alfred Collins saw his 49ers career get off to somewhat of a slow start due to a calf injury that caused him to miss spring workouts. But Collins has been on an upward trajectory in recent weeks, and he hit a new peak on Thursday night with his forced fumble and fumble recovery that might have saved the 49ers from a loss.

With running back Kyren Williams heading towards the end zone on a first down run with just over a minute left to play, Collins swung his fist and popped the ball out of Williams' hand just before he was able to reach the goal line. Collins jumped on the loose ball, giving the 49ers possession deep in their own territory.

"A couple series before, they were doing a draw play," Collins said. "So I ran upfield and they ran right there. So I felt them doing that, tried to fight back. It's a must-have play, because if I didn't do that, it would've been different. Maybe they would have scored."

49ers veterans have noticed the improvement Collins has made in practices, so they're not too surprised to see it show up in games.

"I think since training camp he's been on an escalator," left tackle Trent Williams said. "He's constantly taking steps to improve. You can just see it in his assertiveness, in the way he plays, just the difference from July to now. It's night and day. It's funny because guys usually don't take that that big of a jump until they've had an offseason to train and kind of and they've had a season to see everything. But, you know, his progression is kind of scary."

Linebacker Fred Warner said, "It's a credit to him, right? Just to continue to keep going and keep searching for opportunities to get better every single week and you see it. He's already big and imposing, so the fact that he's starting to use that size and and be dominant in there and make those game-changing plays, the sky's the limit for him."

As for Collins, he's simply been doing what he can to improve, while also making the good choice of listening to what the people within the organization are telling him.

"Just coming to work every day, being intentional, finding things to get better at every day, from technique, to conditioning, to recognizing the different plays and stuff," Collins said Thursday. "And continuing to buy into what this whole organization is doing, because this is a 10-out-of-10 organization. I've been just flourishing, and it's only up from here."

Oy McVay

As previously mentioned, the Rams were slicing and dicing the 49ers through the air coming down the stretch of Thursday night's game. They had just 15 carries to 47 passes as they headed into the 4th-and-1 call at the end of their final drive.

So why did Rams head coach Sean McVay choose that moment to call a simple running play for Kyren Williams that the 49ers were able to sniff out and stuff for no gain? And if they were going to run, why did they not attempt using a "tush push" on the play?

Whatever the logic was, McVay admitted after the game that he made a mistake.

"It's a bad call," McVay said. "It's a bad call by me."

McVay repeatedly criticized his own play call during his postgame press conference, making his regret clear in no uncertain terms.

"I thought about maybe trying to draw them offsides," McVay said. "I took one (timeout), they took the other, and it was a poor decision by me right there. But give the Niners credit. They made enough plays to be able to win the football game."

Did McVay consider kicking a field goal to tie the game at 26?

"In hindsight I wish I would have, but no," McVay said. "We came in here to try to win the football game. It didn't go down for us. That wasn't even a thought. But the play selection was very poor. I'm sick right now because I put our players in a sh***y spot, and I've got to live with that."

Fit check

Before Jones threw for over 300 yards on the Rams, he made an impression on social media with his black and red suit.

That suit isn't the first time Jones has made a fashion statement with his gameday attire, but it may be the loudest. When explaining his fashion choices to reporters after the game, Jones said it comes down to simply making a choice that looks and feels professional.

"I just like suits," Jones said. "I wear suits because I'm going to work, so that's kind of how I look at it. And yeah, they're cool."