INGLEWOOD, Calif. – On a night full of surprises, the San Francisco 49ers achieved an impressive victory against the Los Angeles Rams, despite the adversities and significant absences in their squad. The 49ers coach, Kyle Shanahan, motivated the team by revealing that they were considered underdogs by the experts.
“I don’t pay much attention to that,” said Niners quarterback Mac Jones, laughing. “Kyle came up to me and was furious. He said, ‘I can’t believe they’ve made us underdogs again,’ or something like that. And I replied, ‘I don’t really know what that means, but yes, we’re going to kill them.'”
Mac Jones
Shanahan’s strategy seemed to work perfectly, as Jones, the backup quarterback, delivered one of the best performances of his career. The 49ers, who entered the game as 8.5-point underdogs, secured a 26-23 victory.
This victory not only raised San Francisco’s record to 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in the NFC West, but also marked the biggest upset of the 2025 season so far.
Despite the absences of key figures such as starting quarterback Brock Purdy, receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings, and star tight end George Kittle, the 49ers demonstrated their depth and resilience.
At the start of the game, Jones had a group of receivers and tight ends who had not achieved any receptions for the 49ers in 2024. Jones, despite playing with a knee injury and forearm cramps, completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, achieving a passer rating of 100.9.
“He played like a champion,” Shanahan said. “He was incredible in the first half. He got beat up a little bit in the second half, but he fought and protected the ball. Against that defense, to throw the ball that many times and not have turnovers, and to protect it like he did, I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”
Kyle ShanahanWith a few extra days of rest before their trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, the Niners still don’t know how much longer they’ll need Jones as a starter. The team ruled out Purdy on Wednesday, and although the player has indicated that his finger is improving, Shanahan said there’s no definitive timetable for his return.
«Everything we told them last week is true», Shanahan said. «He just re-aggravated it, and it’s week to week. We don’t know how it’s going to heal, and we hope it gets better tomorrow, and we’ll continue throughout the week».Niners quarterback Mac Jones went 33-of-49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Thursday night’s overtime win over the Rams.Jones and the Niners’ makeshift receiving corps started the game with a pair of touchdown drives, connecting with Tonges and running back Christian McCaffrey to give San Francisco a 14-0 lead.
Jones had only two missed throws out of his 49 attempts, a 4%, his lowest mark in a start since Week 12 of 2022. He even handled the pressure from the Rams well, completing 6 of 9 passes for 53 yards and four first downs.
Many of his passes were directed to Bourne, who signed with the team before Week 2 against New Orleans. Bourne had a couple of errors, but redeemed himself by setting personal records with 10 receptions for 142 yards, including eight receptions for first downs.
“KB has brought so much energy, so much enthusiasm to this team, and we love him and appreciate him so much,” said fullback Kyle Juszczyk. “The guys who have played with him before knew it, but I think everyone who hasn’t has seen it immediately. He’s definitely helped ignite this team.”
Kyle Juszczyk
As in San Francisco’s other three wins this season, the team also received key contributions from defensive members of their 2025 draft class.
The second-round defensive tackle, Alfred Collins, forced and recovered a fumble in San Francisco’s yard at the end of the last quarter to prevent a possible winning touchdown, and rookie safety Marques Sigle participated in the last tackle of Rams running back Kyren Williams to stop him on fourth and 1 on the Niners’ 11-yard line.
“General manager John Lynch will probably be celebrating on that plane tonight,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “Our young guys are really coming and playing big for us. I mean, all these games so far… and they’re just getting started.”
