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Commentary: Matthew Stafford’s performances put him in pantheon of L.A. greats
SANTA CLARA — This is not a one-off.
This is no hot streak or a flash in the pan.
So don’t look away. Pay attention.
Otherwise, risk missing the master class that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is conducting this season.
One that has the 17th-year pro squarely in the conversation for his first NFL most valuable player award.
“I see those people say stuff like that,” Stafford said Sunday after passing for four touchdowns in the Rams’ 42-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, “and all I can think about is like I’m just lucky to have unbelievable teammates.”
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 42-26 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
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Matthew Stafford and Rams get revenge on rival 49ers in 42-26 win
🏈 Rams 42, 49ers 26 — FINAL
Matthew Stafford passed for 280 yards and four touchdowns as the Rams (7-2) avenged their overtime loss to the 49ers last month with a dominant offensive showing at Levi’s Stadium.
The win sets up an NFC West showdown between the Rams and the Seattle Seahawks (7-2) next Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Davante Adams caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a back injury. Kyren Williams rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns in 14 carries.
San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones completed 33 of 39 passes for 319 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
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George Kittle scores touchdown late in fourth quarter for 49ers
🏈 Rams 42, 49ers 26 — 2:53 left in the fourth quarter
San Francisco tight end George Kittle scored on a 13-yard touchdown catch after diving just inside the end-zone pylon. The 49ers failed to convert on the two-point try, and couldn’t recover their onside kick.
Barring an extreme set of circumstances, the Rams are set to improve to 7-2 on the season.
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Colby Parkinson touchdown catch gives Rams commanding lead
🏈 Rams 42, 49ers 20 — 5:10 left in the fourth quarter
Matthew Stafford connected with a wide-open Colby Parkinson, who trotted into the end zone on a 16-yard touchdown catch to give the Rams a commanding lead.
The touchdown capped a six-play, 38-yard drive. Stafford has completed 24 of 36 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
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Emmanuel Forbes Jr. intercepts pass; Davante Adams sustains injury
🏈 Rams 35, 49ers 20 — 8:29 left in the fourth quarter
Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. intercepted a pass from Mac Jones intended for Christian McCaffrey to put the ball back in Matthew Stafford’s hands.
However, it wasn’t all good news for the Rams. Wide receiver Davante Adams sustained a back injury on the Rams’ previous possession and is listed as questionable to return.
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Kyren Williams touchdown gives Rams 35-20 lead in fourth quarter
🏈 Rams 35, 49ers 20 — 10:04 left in the fourth quarter
Kyren Williams capitalized on a gigantic hole in the middle of the 49ers’ defense to score on a seven-yard run and give the Rams a 15-point lead. It was Williams’ second touchdown of the game.
The five-play, 64-yard drive included a 13-yard reception by Puka Nacua and a 32-yard catch by rookie tight end Tyler Ferguson. A 12-yard reception by Colby Parkinson set up the touchdown run.
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Mac Jones and 49ers continue to test Rams’ defense
🏈 Rams 28, 49ers 20 — 12:29 left in the fourth quarter
Mac Jones and the 49ers aren’t going away.
Jones connected on a nine-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Farrell, but Rams linebacker Jared Verse blocked Eddy Pineiro’s extra-point attempt make it an eight-point game.
The touchdown capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive that included a 19-yard reception by wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
Jones has completed 25 of 29 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
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Rams take 28-14 lead on Davante Adams touchdown catch
🏈 Rams 28, 49ers 14 — 2:39 left in the third quarter
Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams continued their red-zone connection, combining for a two-yard touchdown pass play.
Adams has scored six touchdowns in the last two games.
Stafford has passed for three touchdowns, increasing his season total to 24, with only two interceptions.
Stafford directed a 12-play, 64-yard drive that included a fourth-down completion to Puka Nacua.
Early in the drive, the Rams benefited from a personal-foul penalty against the 49ers after running back Kyren Williams caught a short pass.
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49ers make it a one-score game in the third quarter
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 14 — 9:33 left in the third quarter
Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a one-yard touchdown run to pull the 49ers to within seven points.
Running back Christian McCaffrey caught passes for 19- and 12-yard gains during the 10-play, 65-yard drive.
McCaffrey has five catches for 44 yards. He has rushed for 18 yards in eight carries.
Mac Jones has completed 19 of 23 passes for 188 yards.
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Rams hold 21-7 lead over 49ers at halftime
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 7 — Halftime
Matthew Stafford passed for two touchdowns and Kyren Williams ran for another as the Rams built their lead.
Williams scored on a short run and Puka Nacua turned a short catch into a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Stafford’s short touchdown pass to tight end Davis Allen increased the lead before the 49ers scored on Mac Jones’s short touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings.
Stafford completed 14 of 23 passes for 173 yards.
Davante Adams caught five passes for 75 yards, Nacua three for 47 yards.
Williams rushed for 50 yards in nine carries.
Nate Landman forced a fumble for the Rams and Byron Young stopped Christian McCaffrey on a fourth-and-one play at the 11-yard line.
Jones completed 15 of 19 passes for 151 yards.
Jennings caught six passes for 71 yards, tight end George Kittle five for 58 yards.
McCaffrey rushed for 14 yards in seven carries.
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49ers get on the board with Jauan Jennings TD catch
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 7 — 3:15 left in the second quarter
Mac Jones tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings to cut the Rams’ lead to 14 points.
Tight end George Kittle made the key play during the seven-play drive when he hauled in an 11-yard pass on a fourth-and-two play from the 17-yard-line.
Jones has completed 12 of 14 passes for 109 yards.
Jennings has five catches for 49 yards.
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Rams take a 21-0 lead on Matthew Stafford’s 400th TD pass
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 0 — 13:41 left in the second quarter
Matthew Stafford tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Davis Allen to complete a scoring drive that was set up by Nate Landman’s forced fumble.
It was Stafford’s 400th career touchdown pass.
Landman forced 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings to fumble after a catch. Safety Kam Kinchens scooped the ball and returned it 12 yards.
Stafford then led a nine-play, 59-yard drive that included 15-yard completions to Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee.
Stafford has completed 11 of 16 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Kyren Williams has rushed for 50 yards in nine carries.
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Rams take 14-0 lead on Puka Nacua touchdown catch
🏈 Rams 14, 49ers 0 — 5:34 left in the first quarter
Puka Nacua caught a short pass from Matthew Stafford and then broke several tackles en route to a 22-yard touchdown.
Stafford has completed eight of 12 passes for 105 yards.
Nacua has two catches for 32 yards.
Running back Blake Corum burst for a 15-yard gain and Davante Adams had a 23-yard reception during the seven-play, 86-yard drive.
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Kyren Williams scores on the Rams’ first possession
🏈 Rams 7, 49ers 0 — 10:14 left in the first quarter
Kyren Williams rushed for a two-yard touchdown and Harrison Mevis kicked his first extra point as the Rams took an early lead.
Matthew Stafford completed four of six passes for 39 yards during the 10-play, 64-yard drive.
Davante Adams caught two passes for 25 yards.
Williams rushed for 25 yards in four carries.
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Rams know Fred Warner will still be making an impact
The last time the Rams tried to neutralize him, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner made 12 tackles and foiled a fourth-down rushing attempt that secured a 49ers’ victory at SoFi Stadium.
In the 49ers’ next game, Warner suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
So the Rams should have an advantage Sunday when they play the Warner-less 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
But Warner’s presence will still be felt, said Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was on the 49ers staff from 2017 to 2020.
“What Fred does from behind the scenes is as important as what he does in front of you guys on Sundays,” LaFleur said of the four-time All-Pro. “He provides such a leadership and such a mentality of how he goes about not just coming out the tunnel on Sunday and playing, but the energy he provides on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the energy he provides in the meeting room.
“That stuff carries over. ... You can see a lot of the same traits that Fred had as a young guy that he’s instilling into this linebacking core unit. Yeah, he’s not out there. Yeah, you want to play a team when they have their best players because that’s what this league is about, but his presence is definitely still felt there.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said Warner was “as good a linebacker as there is in this league.”
“His ability to cover up some of the stuff that they ask him to do in some of their middle field open coverages is second to none in the NFL,” Stafford said. “I think with both his ability to move, his understanding of what offenses are trying to do to attack him, all of that is at an elite level.”
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Jared Verse doesn’t need any happy birthday wishes from 49ers players
Jared Verse has been part of the Rams-San Francisco 49ers rivalry for less than two full seasons.
But the star edge rusher feels it deeply.
Verse said 49ers cornerback Renardo Green and linebacker Tatum Bethune — his former teammates at Florida State — texted him birthday wishes this week.
“They are my brothers and everything like that, but they play for the 49ers,” Verse said, adding, “I say, ‘Hey, thank you. Get off my phone you’re my opponent! I’m not messing with you this week. You’re my opponent, like, simple as that.’
“Even your best friends, even your brothers, it’s just different this week.”
Verse said it would be different after the game.
“I want them to have sad eyes,” he said, laughing.
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Inactives for Rams vs. 49ers
Here are the players who will not be suiting up for the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday:
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Sean McVay regrets play call that led to Puka Nacua injury: ‘I’m kicking myself’
Puka Nacua returned to the Rams’ lineup in spectacular fashion, catching a touchdown pass, amassing nearly 100 yards receiving and picking up key yardage on a fourth-down jet sweep during a victory over the New Orleans Saints.
But that rushing play, which ended with a crushing hit, came with a cost.
On Monday, Nacua was scheduled to have a scan of his injured ribs, though coach Sean McVay said during a videoconference with reporters that “I feel optimistic ... in regard to where we’re potentially heading.”
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Rams finding success with multiple tight-end sets
Though it features star players such as quarterback Matthew Stafford and receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, the Rams’ offense has gotten a boost from coach Sean McVay’s decision to play multiple tight ends.
Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson have been deployed in various combinations for a team that has won three games in a row heading into Sunday.
“It’s a little different, throwing a few of them out there at the same time,” Higbee, a 10th-year pro, said chuckling. “It’s been great having the guys to do it. It’s on us as a unit to keep making it go.”
Higbee and Allen each have two touchdown catches, Ferguson one. Parkinson had an apparent touchdown nullified by a penalty.
“Each one has their own little uniqueness to them,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “All four are versatile. ... Those guys go out, receivers come off the field, but those receivers are pumped to see those guys out there performing.
“They just want to see the Rams move the ball forward and score points.”
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Davante Adams has ‘never really liked’ the 49ers
Rams receiver Davante Adams grew up in East Palo Alto, Calif., and attended Palo Alto High, about a 20-minute drive from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
While Sunday’s game against the 49ers will be meaningful because it’s near home, Adams said he has “never really liked” the 49ers, a nemesis for the Green Bay Packers for whom Adams starred for eight seasons.
“Similar to how I feel about them now, never really liked them,” Adams said, adding, “They’re a team that since I’ve been in the league they’ve been in our way. With the Packers, they beat us a few times in some pretty meaningful games.
“It always brings out a little bit more inside of you. Going back home and being in front of the home crowd, it’s always been fun to play those games in front of my family and some people from high school. It’s a meaningful one.”
Adams has an NFL-leading eight touchdown catches, including five in the last two games. With 111 career touchdown catches, he is tied with Tony Gonzalez for eighth all-time.
“It’s something that means a lot — to be mentioned with great players,” Adams said. “When you look at some of the lists that my name has been mentioned on, it’s all Hall of Famers that are attached so it means a lot.
“But just like I tell everybody that’s been reaching out recently about touchdowns or the team’s success, we say we’re going to keep climbing and look up when we get to the top or when it’s over. That’s kind of my mentality.”
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Matthew Stafford and Rams eager to avenge their heartbreaking loss to 49ers
It’s been just more than five weeks.
But for the Rams that seems like ages ago.
On Oct. 2, the San Francisco 49ers came to SoFi Stadium and handed the Rams their second loss in four weeks, a 26-23 overtime defeat on “Thursday Night Football” that ended when the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams on fourth and one at the 49ers’ 11-yard line.
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Gary Klein breaks down what you need to know for Sunday’s matchup between the Rams and San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Much has changed for the Rams that defeat.
In victories over the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints, the Rams offense broadened its scope by utilizing four tight ends, receiver Davante Adams emerged as the hoped-for red-zone threat and quarterback Matthew Stafford is enjoying one of the most productive and efficient stretches of his 17-year career.
The Rams have largely shut down three consecutive opponents with a dominant defensive front, a steady linebacker corps and an improving secondary.
One phase, however, remained the same: The kicking game has been a liability.
But the Rams addressed the situation by signing veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide and bringing in Harrison Mevis to compete with kicker Joshua Karty.
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NFL Week 10 picks: Rams get revenge on 49ers; Eagles beat Packers
Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 10 of the NFL season.
All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Last week, Farmer posted a 10-4 (.714) record. Through the first nine weeks of the season, he is 88-47 (.652).
Using point spreads with the scores Farmer predicted, his record against the spread in Week 9 would have been 6-8 (.423). For the season, his record against the spread is 67-68 (.496).
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Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers: How to watch, start time and prediction
Rams coach Sean McVay and San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan know each other — and each other’s schematic and play-calling tendencies — better than perhaps any two coaches in the NFL.
Close games between the teams are a constant.
Since they first squared off in 2017, nearly half of their 18 matchups have been decided by three points or fewer, including the 49ers’ 26-23 overtime victory on Oct. 2 at SoFi Stadium.