The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams have one of the most heated rivalries in the entire NFC West. Every time these two teams share a field, something big happens. A comeback, a milestone, a turnover that nobody saw coming. In 2025, they played each other twice, and both games gave fans exactly what they came for.
This article covers every key stat, scoring play, and player performance from both matchups. You’ll also find accurate injury context and historic milestones that other sites either missed or got completely wrong.
Fact-Check Notice: Several popular blogs covering this topic have serious errors. They reference Aaron Donald as a 2025 factor he retired in March 2024. They also use wrong game dates and made-up player stats. Everything in this article comes from verified game data only.
Rams Host 49ers (October 2, 2025)
The first meeting was a Thursday night game at SoFi Stadium. San Francisco pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the early season, winning 26–23 in overtime. What made the result even more surprising was the injury list the 49ers carried into that game.
San Francisco was missing some of their most important players:
- Brock Purdy — out with a toe injury since Week 4
- Nick Bosa — out for the season
- George Kittle — inactive for this game
- All three of their starting wide receivers
Mac Jones stepped in at quarterback. The 49ers controlled the ball for over 40 minutes and committed zero turnovers. The Rams had more total yards on the night but lost two fumbles that completely shifted the game. San Francisco won ugly, but a win is a win.
| Stat Category | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 23 | 26 (OT) |
| Total Yards | 456 | 407 |
| Passing Yards | 389 | 342 |
| Rushing Yards | 78 | 74 |
| Completions/Attempts | 30/47 (63.8%) | 33/49 (67.3%) |
| Passing TDs | 3 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Rushing Attempts | 16 | 33 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Turnovers | 2 fumbles | 0 |
| Penalties | 5 for 36 yds | 8 for 44 yds |
| First Downs | 27 | 27 |
| Possession Time | 26:20 | 40:04 |
| QB Passer Rating | 111.0 | 100.9 |
| Field Goals Made/Att | 1/2 | 4/4 |
| Sacks Allowed | 1 | 1 |
| QB Hits Allowed | 10 | 2 |
Game 1 Scoring Breakdown
The 49ers went ahead early and kept grinding throughout.
- Q1: Mac Jones hit Jake Tonges on a 6-yard TD pass — 49ers lead 7–0
- Q2: Jones found Christian McCaffrey on a 1-yard score — 14–0 SF
- Q2: Stafford connected with Kyren Williams for 14 yards — 14–7 SF
- Q2: Pineiro hit a 37-yard field goal — 17–7 SF at halftime
- Q3: Stafford found Puka Nacua for 1 yard — 17–14 SF
- Q3: Pineiro added a 20-yard field goal — 20–14 SF
- Q4: Stafford hit Williams again for 8 yards — tied 20–20
- Q4: Pineiro nailed a 59-yard field goal — 23–20 SF
- Q4: Karty hit a 48-yarder with 6 seconds left — 23–23, overtime
- OT: Pineiro finished it with a 41-yard field goal — 49ers win 26–23
The hero of this game was not a quarterback or a running back. It was the kicker.
Game 1 Key Player Performances
Matthew Stafford — QB, Rams:
Stafford had a strong night. He went 30 of 47 for 389 yards, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, finishing with a 111.0 passer rating. The two fumbles that hurt the Rams had nothing to do with him. He kept fighting despite taking 10 QB hits throughout the game.
Mac Jones — QB, 49ers:
Jones was quietly solid. He completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns with no turnovers. Considering he was starting without almost every key offensive weapon, this was a composed, well-managed performance.
Christian McCaffrey — RB, 49ers:
McCaffrey was San Francisco’s offensive engine all night. He contributed as both a rusher and receiver, scored a touchdown, and helped Jones keep drives alive in a heavily modified offensive scheme.
Kyren Williams — RB/WR, Rams:
Williams scored a receiving touchdown and was one of Stafford’s most-used targets. The Rams only ran the ball 16 times all game, so Williams lined up mostly out of the backfield as a pass-catcher.
Eddie Pineiro — K, 49ers:
This man won the game. Pineiro went 4 for 4 on field goals and every single one of them mattered:
- 37 yards in Q2
- 20 yards in Q3
- 59 yards in Q4 — one of the longest of the season
- 41 yards in overtime to win it
Without Pineiro, the 49ers lose this game by two scores.
49ers Host Rams (November 9, 2025)
Game 2 was a completely different story. The Rams came to Levi’s Stadium in Week 10 and won 42–26. The final score honestly made it look closer than it was. Los Angeles led 14–0 after the first quarter and the 49ers never seriously threatened to take the lead.
By November, San Francisco’s injury situation had gone from bad to worse:
- Brock Purdy — still inactive, six straight games missed
- Nick Bosa — out for the season
- Fred Warner — out for the season
- Mykel Williams — rookie defensive lineman, season-ending knee injury the week before
The 49ers’ defensive tackles ranked 4th-worst in the NFL in run defense at this point. The Rams knew it and attacked it from the very first drive. On the other side, Los Angeles committed zero penalties and zero turnovers across 67 plays. That level of discipline does not happen by accident.
| Stat Category | San Francisco 49ers | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 26 | 42 |
| Total Yards | 393 | 401 |
| Passing Yards | 319 | 280 |
| Rushing Yards | 74 | 126 |
| Completions/Attempts | 33/39 (84.6%) | 24/36 (66.7%) |
| Passing TDs | 3 | 4 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing Attempts | 21 | 30 |
| Rushing TDs | 1 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Penalties | 7 for 45 yds | 0 for 0 yds |
| First Downs | 24 | 31 |
| Possession Time | 27:28 | 32:32 |
| QB Passer Rating | 115.7 | 127.1 |
| Yards After Catch | 101 | 142 |
| Sacks Allowed | 0 | 1 |
Game 2 Scoring Breakdown
The Rams scored touchdowns on six of their first eight drives. There was no let-up.
- Q1: Kyren Williams ran it in from 2 yards out — Rams lead 7–0
- Q1: Stafford hit Puka Nacua for 22 yards — 14–0 LA
- Q2: Stafford found Davis Allen for 4 yards — 21–0 LA
- Q2: Jones hit Jauan Jennings for 6 yards — 21–7 LA at halftime
- Q3: Brian Robinson Jr. ran it in for 1 yard — 28–7 LA
- Q3: Stafford hit Darryl Adams for 2 yards — 35–7 LA
- Q4: Jones connected with Luke Farrell for 9 yards — 35–14 LA
- Q4: Williams added a second rushing TD from 7 yards — 42–14 LA
- Q4: Stafford hit Colby Parkinson for 16 yards — 42–20 LA (PAT blocked by Jared Verse)
- Q4: Jones found George Kittle for 13 yards — 42–26 LA (two-point try intercepted)
Game 2 Key Player Performances
Matthew Stafford — QB, Rams:
Stafford played the best game of his 2025 season. He went 24 of 36 for 280 yards, 4 touchdowns, zero interceptions, and posted a 127.1 passer rating. His offense ran 67 plays, picked up zero penalties, and did not turn the ball over once. That is about as clean as an NFL performance gets.
Kyren Williams — RB, Rams:
Williams ran all over San Francisco’s struggling defense. He carried the ball 30 times for 126 yards and scored twice on the ground. He was physical, consistent, and almost impossible to bring down on first contact.
Puka Nacua — WR, Rams:
Nacua opened the game with a 22-yard TD catch in Q1 and set the Rams’ aggressive tone from the opening drive. He stayed reliable as an intermediate target all afternoon.
Davante Adams — WR, Rams
Adams was effective in the first half and helped open up space for other receivers. He left in the second half with an oblique injury. After the game, he did not hold back when talking about Stafford: “It’s looked like MVP play to me all year.”
Mac Jones — QB, 49ers:
Jones put up clean numbers — 33 of 39 passes completed, 319 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an 84.6% completion rate. But the 49ers were chasing the game from the very first quarter. His one interception on the two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter was the final nail in the coffin.
George Kittle — TE, 49ers:
Kittle caught a 13-yard TD from Jones in Q4. Even in a blowout loss, with a depleted roster around him, he showed up and delivered. That says a lot about his character.
Stafford Historic Milestones What Other Sites Miss
This is the biggest storyline of Game 2 and almost no competing blog mentioned it properly.
When Stafford threw his fourth touchdown pass against the 49ers, he became the ninth quarterback in NFL history to reach 400 career touchdown passes. He joined names like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees. For a guy who spent over a decade on losing Detroit Lions teams without much playoff success, reaching that number is a real testament to his staying power.
On top of that, Stafford set a brand-new NFL record by recording three straight games with at least four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. No quarterback had ever done that before. Head coach Sean McVay kept it simple after the game: “He’s just been in total command.”
Davante Adams, who played alongside Aaron Rodgers during three MVP seasons, said: “It’s looked like MVP play to me all year.” That is a meaningful comparison coming from someone who has seen elite quarterback play up close.
The Injury Story Behind Both Games
This context is missing from every top competing article on this topic, and without it you cannot fully understand either result.
Going into Game 1, the 49ers were short-handed in a way that would have broken most teams. They were without their starting quarterback, their best pass rusher, their best tight end, and all three starting wide receivers. Any other team in that spot likely loses by 20 on a Thursday night road game. San Francisco won in overtime.
By Game 2, things had gotten worse. Two more starters were done for the season on defense — Fred Warner and rookie Mykel Williams — and Purdy was still sitting out. The Rams specifically targeted San Francisco’s run defense, which had fallen to 4th-worst in the league, and Kyren Williams had one of his best games of the season as a result.
When you factor in the injuries, Game 1 looks even more impressive for the 49ers, and Game 2 makes complete sense for the Rams.
The turnover battle flipped between both games, and so did the result. In Game 1, the Rams lost two fumbles and the 49ers lost none San Francisco won. In Game 2, the Rams had zero turnovers and the 49ers had two — Los Angeles won by 16. It was the most consistent trend across both matchups.
NFC West Standings Impact
Both games had a direct effect on the division race in 2025.
After Game 1, the 49ers moved to 4–1 despite all their injuries and stayed right in the thick of the playoff picture. The Rams entered as heavy favorites and left with an OT loss that stung.
By the time Game 2 arrived in Week 10, the Rams sat at 7–2 and were tied for first in the NFC West with Seattle. Their 42–26 win made a strong statement — they were legitimate Super Bowl contenders and Stafford was playing MVP-level football. The 49ers dropped to 6–4, still in playoff contention but clearly stretched thin by their injury problems.
Fantasy Football Takeaways
These two games carry useful data for fantasy players beyond just the final scores.
Players worth starting with confidence:
- Kyren Williams — dominant in both games, 2 TDs and 30 carries in Game 2
- Puka Nacua — scored in both games, solid PPR option with big-play upside
- George Kittle — consistent red zone target even when the offense around him struggles
Players to think twice about:
- Mac Jones — good completion rates but limited by lack of weapons and falling behind early
- Davante Adams — highly effective when healthy, but the oblique injury in Game 2 needs watching
The clearest fantasy trend from both games: when the Rams commit zero turnovers and zero penalties, Stafford, Williams, and Nacua all have massive days. Watch their discipline heading into any given week.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 49ers–Rams series showed two sides of what this rivalry can look like. In Game 1, San Francisco played short-handed, controlled the clock, and let their kicker win the game in overtime. In Game 2, Los Angeles came in healthy, disciplined, and playing historic football behind Stafford. Both results made sense once you understood the full picture. Heading into 2026, when both teams are hopefully at full strength, this is the kind of division matchup that could easily decide who wins the NFC West and neither side will take the other lightly.
