Mac Jones leads depleted 49ers to 26-23 OT win over Rams in dramatic Thursday night thriller

When Mac Jones dropped back for the 49th time on a rain-slicked SoFi Stadium turf, his left ankle swollen and his team down four receivers and their starting QB, he didn’t flinch. With 3:41 left in overtime and the San Francisco 49ers clinging to a 26-23 lead over the Los Angeles Rams, Jones had already thrown for 312 yards, completed 37 of 49 passes, and silenced every doubt about whether he could carry this team. The win — a 26-23 overtime thriller on Thursday Night Football SoFi Stadium — wasn’t just an upset. It was a statement.

When the starters vanished, Jones stepped up

The 49ers entered Week 5 without their top four receivers, their starting quarterback Brock Purdy (toe injury), and star edge rusher Nick Bosa (groin). They were 7.5-point underdogs. By halftime, Jones was limping after a hard hit that twisted his ankle. Yet he kept throwing. And throwing. And throwing. He didn’t just survive — he outdueled Matthew Stafford, a 37-year-old future Hall of Famer playing his 15th NFL season, who threw for 267 yards but no touchdowns and one costly interception. The Rams’ offense, averaging 28.3 points per game, was held to 23. That’s not luck. That’s grit.

The fumble that changed everything

With 1:05 left in regulation, the Rams had first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. A questionable illegal hands penalty had given them life. All it would take was one yard. But then came Alfred Collins, the 22-year-old rookie defensive lineman out of Georgia, selected in the third round of the 2025 draft. He crashed into running back Kyren Williams at the 1-yard line, stripped the ball, and fell on it. The crowd went silent. The 49ers bench erupted. The game was still alive. "That’s the kind of play you dream about as a kid," Collins said afterward. "I just wanted to make sure the ball didn’t cross the line."

How the overtime coin toss backfired

The Rams won the coin toss in overtime — and chose to kick off. A baffling decision, given their offense had struggled all night. The result? Kicker Joshua Karty’s kickoff fell seven yards short. The 49ers started at their own 40. No need for a long drive. Jones methodically picked apart the Rams’ secondary, hitting tight end George Kittle on a 19-yard slant and then finding rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Sharp for 14 more. When the drive stalled at the Rams’ 14-yard line, Jake Piniero lined up for a 41-yard field goal. The kick grazed the left upright — barely — and dropped through. 26-23. The 49ers led.

The final stop: a tackle that ended a dynasty’s hope

The Rams had one last shot. Fourth-and-1 from their own 28-yard line. 3:41 left. They handed it to Kyren Williams — their best back. But Deomore Lir and Marques Sigle met him at the line. No gain. The 49ers defense, depleted and exhausted, held. The whistle blew. The stadium groaned. The Rams’ home losing streak against the 49ers in close games stretched to three. For Stafford, it was the first time in his 15-year career he lost a home game to San Francisco when leading in the fourth quarter.

Why this matters beyond the win column

"This is the largest upset victory in the Kyle Shanahan era," said Emory Hunt, CBS Sports HQ analyst, on October 3. "And it came on a short week, in division, without their best players." The 49ers improved to 4-1. The Rams fell to 3-2. But more than records, this win redefined the identity of this team. Jones — signed in March after being released by the New England Patriots — now has three straight wins as a starter. He’s thrown 38, 42, and 49 passes in those games. No interceptions. Two touchdowns in each. "He took a licking and kept on ticking," said NBC’s Rod Brooks. "That’s the definition of a franchise quarterback." The Rams, meanwhile, look increasingly fragile. Their offensive line struggled. Their running game sputtered. And their defense, once a strength, couldn’t stop a quarterback who was playing on one good leg.

What’s next? A rematch with a twist

ESPN later confirmed that the Rams would get their revenge — but not in the way anyone expected. On November 9, 2025, Los Angeles defeated the 49ers 42-26 in a stunning reversal at an undisclosed location, completing a dramatic season arc. But that win didn’t erase the memory of October 2. That night, when the 49ers had nothing left, Mac Jones gave them everything.