Rams win to set up Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff playoff showdown
SANTA CLARA — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is heading back to Detroit.
The Rams’ 21-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium improved the Rams’ record to 10-7 and clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Rams will play the Detroit Lions — and former Rams quarterback Jared Goff — in a wild-card game at Ford Field.
It will be a homecoming for Stafford, who played 12 seasons for the Lions before he was traded to the Rams for Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick before the 2021 season.
Stafford did not play against the 49ers — but the Rams did not need him.
Carson Wentz, making his first start since the end of the 2022 season, passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Puka Nacua established NFL rookie records for catches and yards receiving.
Rams defeat 49ers, will play Lions in the wild-card playoffs
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 20 — FINAL
San Francisco quarterback Sam Darnold fumbled away the ball and Byron Young recovered it in the final minute to seal the Rams’ victory.
The Rams beat the 49ers for the first time in 10 regular-season matchups between the NFC West rivals.
The Rams will play the Detroit Lions next week in the NFC wild-card playoffs.
Carson Wentz TD and two-point conversion gives Rams a late lead
🏈 Rams 21, 49ers 20 — 4:56 left in the fourth quarter
Benefiting from some fantastic blocking, Carson Wentz scored on a 12-yard run, then connected on a pass to Tutu Atwell on the two-point conversion attempt to thrust the Rams into the lead.
The two standout plays capped a five-play, 71-yard scoring drive that was fueled by a 48-yard pass interference penalty on 49ers safety Tayler Hawkins.
On the Rams’ previous drive, Wentz was sacked on fourth down after a video review determined Oren Burks brought down Wentz before he tossed the ball to Royce Freeman, who managed to initially pick up a first down. The 49ers took over at the L.A. 42, but went three and out.
Tyler Johnson touchdown catch cuts into 49ers’ lead
🏈 49ers 20, Rams 13 — 4:45 left in the third quarter
Tyler Johnson made a spectacular catch on an eight-yard pass from Carson Wentz to cut into San Francisco’s lead. Kicker Brett Maher, however, missed the extra-point attempt in his first game back on the Rams’ roster.
The catch capped a 17-play, 75-yard drive for the Rams that included Puka Nacua breaking the NFL rookie records for receiving yards and receptions.
Puka Nacua sets rookie record for receiving yards and catches
🏈 49ers 20, Rams 7 — 11:23 left in the third quarter
Rams receiver Puka Nacua established an NFL rookie record for catches and yards receiving in a season.
Nacua’s fourth reception on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers increased his total to 105, breaking the record set by Miami’s Jaylen Waddle in 2021-22.
Nacua broke the catches record early in the third quarter on a seven-yard pass from Carson Wentz. On the next play, Nacua caught a six-yard pass to break the yards receiving record of 1,473 yards that was set by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers in 1960.
Nacua, a fifth-round draft pick who played at Washington and Brigham Young, was voted to the Pro Bowl. He eclipsed 100 yards receiving in a game seven times.
Nacua was immediately pulled from the game after breaking the records, getting the chance to celebrate with family on the sideline.
Ronnie Bell TD catch extends 49ers’ lead just before halftime
🏈 49ers 20, Rams 7 — HALFTIME
Sam Darnold extended the 49ers’ lead by firing a five-yard touchdown pass to Ronnie Bell with 11 seconds left in the first half.
Darnold directed a nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive in 1 minute 27 seconds.
The Rams were fortunate the damage was not worse.
Early in the second quarter, the 49ers intercepted a Carson Wentz pass that tipped off receiver Tutu Atwell’s hands. But 49ers kicker Jake Moody missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt. Moody later missed the extra-point attempt after Bell’s touchdown.
Darnold has completed 14 of 19 passes for 168 yards and a touchdowns. He also has rushed for 13 yards and a touchdown.
Wentz has completed seven of 12 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.
Rams receiver Puka Nacua needs two catches and one yard receiving to break NFL rookie records in those categories.
Sam Darnold touchdown pushes 49ers back into lead
🏈 49ers 14, Rams 7 — 6:59 left in the second quarter
San Darnold sneaked for a one-yard touchdown to put the 49ers back in the lead.
Darnold’s sneak capped a 16-play, 75-yard drive that consumed nearly seven minutes.
The 49ers got a break when Rams safety John Johnson was penalized for holding on a third-down pass that fell incomplete. Two plays later, Darnold scored.
Darnold has completed seven of nine passes for 73 yards.
Elijah Mitchell has rushed for 36 yards in 10 carries.
Puka Nacua ties rookie record for yards with TD catch
🏈 Rams 7, 49ers 7 — 1:53 left in the first quarter
Puka Nacua caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Wentz to tie the score — and Nacua tied the NFL rookie record for yards receiving in a season.
Nacua tied the record of 1,473 yards set in 1960 by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers. Nacua needs two catches to break the record of 104 set by Miami’s Jaylen Waddle in 2021-22.
It remains to e seen whether coach Sean McVay will keep Nacua in the game.
Wentz, playing in place of Matthew Stafford, completed four of five passes for 47 yards.
San Francisco takes early lead on Elijah Mitchell touchdown
🏈 49ers 7, Rams 0 — 7:27 left in the first quarter
Elijah Mitchell scored on a one-yard touchdown run to give the 49ers the early lead.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, playing in place of Brock Purdy, completed all five of his passes for 49 yards during the 12-play, 75-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes.
Mitchell rushed for 15 yards in six carries.
Could 49ers game be start of something beautiful for Rams’ Carson Wentz?
Since joining the Rams in November, Carson Wentz rarely has stood still on the sideline.
The veteran quarterback bursts into sprints as if he is avoiding a rush. He tosses passes as if he’s engineering a game-winning, two-minute drive.
But as Matthew Stafford led the Rams to a playoff spot, Wentz never got the chance to show in a game that he could once again be a viable NFL starter.
That opportunity arrives Sunday.
Coach Sean McVay is resting Stafford and a few other starters, so Wentz will be under center against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
Four Rams are selected to NFC Pro Bowl team with hopes of missing it for Super Bowl
The Rams are back in the playoffs — and four key players who helped them get there were voted to the Pro Bowl Games.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, rookie receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams made the event, which will be held Feb. 4 in Orlando, Fla.
Rams players, of course, would like to be preparing for the Super Bowl at that time.
The Rams, currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC, play the regular-season finale Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. They will begin the postseason as either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed, depending on the outcome of the games this weekend.
Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald among Rams’ inactives for Sunday
Here are the players who will not be playing for the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday:
Rams bringing back kicker Brett Maher after cutting Lucas Havrisik
Seven games into the season, the Rams cut kicker Brett Maher because of inconsistency.
Now, the Rams are bringing back Maher for the season finale against the San Francisco 49ers and the playoffs.
On Monday, a day after rookie Lucas Havrisik missed two extra-point attempts in a 26-25 victory over the New York Giants, the Rams cut Havrisik and agreed to terms with Maher.
“Getting into the playoffs definitely changes a little bit of the dialogue in regards to knowing what we have coming down the pipe,” McVay said during a video conference with reporters. “And so we wanted to get somebody in here that had some experience.”
Matthew Stafford won’t play against 49ers and he’s not only Rams starter who will sit
Playoff seeding apparently is not as important to the Rams as making sure starters are rested, physically sound and ready for whatever opponent they draw in a wild-card game.
That is how coach Sean McVay’s decision to sit quarterback Matthew Stafford and other starters Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers can be interpreted after McVay announced Wednesday that Carson Wentz would start in place of Stafford.
The Rams (9-7) have clinched a playoff spot and are currently the No. 6 seed. A loss to the top-seeded 49ers (12-4), and a victory by the Green Bay Packers over the Chicago Bears, would cause the Rams to slip to No. 7.
Rams-49ers matchups: How to watch, start time and prediction
Breaking down how the Rams (9-7) and San Francisco 49ers (12-4) match up heading into their game Sunday. The game will be televised by Fox:
When Rams have the ball
Coach Sean McVay wants to make sure key players are rested for the playoffs, so Pro Bowl quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and Pro Bowl running back Kyren Williams will not play. Veteran Carson Wentz will start in place of Stafford. It’s Wentz’s first start since the 2022 season, when he played for the Washington Commanders.