49ers grades from improbable overtime victory vs. Rams to remain atop NFC West

Is this the same team that four days early looked atrocious in a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars?The short-handed 49ers were big underdogs on Thursday night against the NFC West-favorite Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.And the 49ers came through with the most improbable regular-season victory since Kyle Shanahan became coach in 2017.The 49ers saw every facet of the team rise up in key moments to pull out a 26-23 overtime victory over the Rams to improve to 4-1 on the 2025 NFL season, including 3-0 within the division.Here is the 49ers’ report card from their Week 5 victory over the Rams:Rushing OffenseThere was not much positive about the 49ers’ running game. They averaged just 2.2 yards per rushing attempt.But the big thing was this: The 49ers were a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth-down plays.Quarterback Mac Jones converted two fourth-down runs, and backup running back Brian Robinson Jr. came up with another. The 49ers needed each of those fourth-down conversions to get this win.Christian McCaffrey, again, could not get much going on the ground, as he rushed for 57 yards on 22 carries for a 2.6-yard average.Grade: C-minusPassing OffenseJones, making his third start in place of injured Brock Purdy, was phenomenal. He teamed up with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne to provide the 49ers with exactly what they needed to overcome the losses of Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings.Jones completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The offensive line did about as well as anyone could have expected, as Jones was sacked just once in the game.Bourne was a beast. He caught 10 passes for 142 yards. Tight end Jake Tonges and McCaffrey had a touchdown reception apiece.Grade: ARushing DefenseThe 49ers gave up some yards on the ground, but they came up with the big plays that helped win this game.Kyren Williams had 65 yards rushing on 14 attempts. But rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins saved the game when he stripped Williams of the football at the goal line late in regulation to prevent the go-ahead score.The run defense closed out the game to stop Williams for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play in overtime. That play ended the game, securing the overtime victory and sending the 49ers into a wild on-field celebration.Also, Trevis Gipson made his debut with the 49ers and recovered a fumble in the first half.Grade: APassing DefenseThe 49ers have had a very difficult time generating any kind of pass rush with Nick Bosa out for the season with a knee injury. And that was painfully obvious again on Thursday.Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ passing game are difficult to contain. And the 49ers struggled to slow down Stafford, who completed 30 of 47 passes for 389 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.Puka Nacua, the top receiver in the NFL, caught 10 passes for 85 yards. Safety Marques Sigle gave up some plays in coverage, and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was flagged three times. But those two also came through with the fourth-down stop of Williams on the running play.Grade: C-minusSpecial teamsThe 49ers’ special teams won the day, and that is something that has not happened too often in recent seasons.Eddy Piñeiro remained perfectly on field goals as a member of the 49ers. He made kicks of 37, 20, 59 and 41 yards. His last field goal supplied the winning points in overtime.Meanwhile, the Rams really struggled on special teams. Rams kicker Joshua Karty missed a 53-yarder and Jordan Elliott blocked an extra point. And the 49ers took over at the 40-yard line to open overtime when Karty’s kickoff came up short of the landing zone.Grade: ACoachingThe 49ers had to get off to a strong start, and Shanahan had things locked in early. The 49ers controlled the game from the beginning with two long scoring drives.He found the sweet spot for Jones and eschewed the running game when there was no success to be had on the ground.The coaching staff got the 49ers to turn the page on their loss to the Jaguars just four days earlier, and managed to get them to overcome a much healthier team in a key division game.Grade: AOverallThis is the kind of game that builds confidence for the young players and veterans alike. The 49ers needed key contributions throughout their roster to pull this one out.Again, this was also the kind of game the 49ers lost repeatedly last season. This is, indeed, a new year.Grade: ADownload and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

49ers grades from improbable overtime victory vs. Rams to remain atop NFC West

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