The Rams braved the elements on Thursday night in San Francisco, squeaking out a hard-fought 12-6 win off the boot of kicker Joshua Karty in wet conditions.
Following a game that featured nothing but field goals, Sean McVay’s side now stands a 50% chance at making the playoffs after improving to 8-6 with three weeks left to play.
THE RAMS BEAT THE 49ERS IN ENEMY TERRITORY WITHOUT SCORING A TOUCHDOWN 😲
LA now has a 50% chance to make the playoffs as they improve to 8-6 👀 pic.twitter.com/TANcKVlCZs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2024
The NFC West has turned into the most competitive and unpredictable division in the league this year, and although the Rams still have a key showdown looming in Week 18 against Seattle, there’s plenty to feel good about after holding a 16% chance of making the playoffs only three weeks earlier.
Sean McVay will spend the extra few days ahead of the Week 16 trip to New York attempting to solve some of the first-half scoring woes that have plagued his team in recent weeks.
The Rams were held scoreless in the first half only three weeks ago against the Saints, and on Thursday, saw four consecutive drives end in a punt – an offensive first since McVay took over back in 2017.
On a more positive note, Chris Shula’s defense responded to a disappointing second half against the Bills last week, holding the Niners to just 191 yards on offense – the fewest during the Kyle Shanahan era.
Not for the first time, the defense came up big with the game on the line, intercepting Brock Purdy late in the fourth quarter, before linebacker Christian Rozeboom sealed the deal with a sack on the final play.
According to Tankathon, the Rams’ remaining schedule is the 10th easiest in the league, starting with next week’s trip to face the Jets, before back-to-back home games against the Cardinals and Seahawks to close out the regular season.
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