Finishing kick lifts Niners to playoffs
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When the Rams took an early 17-0 lead on the 49ers on Sunday, tight end George Kittle had several Rams chirping their excitement in his ear about a shift in this one-sided rivalry.
“I was like, ‘A lot of time up on that clock, boys,’ ” the 49ers star said.
No matter what jams the 49ers got into this season, they were resourceful enough to get their season back on a playoff path. And once again, their winning route went right over the Rams.
The 49ers clinched a postseason berth with a 27-24 overtime victory against the Rams, thanks to Robbie Gould’s 24-yard field goal with 2:45 left in overtime and a game-ending interception by rookie Ambry Thomas.
“Getting off to a slow start and then coming back like we did, it took everything,” said quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who passed for 316 yards. “We say that a lot of weeks, but this one really did. I felt it after the game. I know a lot of guys in that locker room did. It was worth it, though. It was one of those games you won’t forget any time soon.”
Jauan Jennings caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo with 26 seconds left in regulation for the 49ers (10-7), who are playoffbound for only the second time in eight years after beating the Rams for the sixth consecutive time.
The 49ers roared to a 7-2 finish to the regular season bookended by two wins over the Rams (12-5). The Rams won an anticlimactic division title anyway, thanks to the Seahawks’ victory over the Cardinals.
“Our guys are so resilient,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I’m very proud of them, and I’m just glad that we get to go into the tournament and be a part of it.”
Deebo Samuel rushed for a touchdown and threw a scoring pass to Jennings in regulation for the 49ers, who made a deliberate 69-yard drive to open overtime. The Rams got the ball back, but Thomas made his first career interception on Matthew Stafford’s long throw.
The 49ers celebrated wildly on the field after extending its longest winning streak in this California rivalry since the 1990s. The Niners also won after falling behind by 17 points for the first time since the 2012 NFC Championship game.
Cooper Kupp caught a go-ahead touchdown pass from Stafford with 2:26 to play for the Rams, whose five-game winning streak ended.
“This is a tough feeling,” coach Sean McVay said. “Our guys did a good job being able to navigate through the season. To be able to still win the division is a good accomplishment, but I don’t know that right now is the time to celebrate that.”
Stafford passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns while winning the first division title of his 13-year NFL career, but the Rams are headed into the postseason on a down note.
“There are some plays out there I want back,” Stafford said. “I guess [a division title] is nice. It means you get a home playoff game. But we would have rather won the game, for sure.”