The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a thrilling 26-23 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. With Eddy Piñeiro’s 41-yard kick sealing the deal and the defence stopping Kyren Williams on fourth down, the Niners (4-1) overcame the fourth quarter to reclaim momentum in the NFC West.
At the heart of the victory was Mac Jones, stepping in for the injured Brock Purdy. Despite facing a tough Rams defense, Jones delivered a clutch performance. Kyle Shanahan couldn’t hide his admiration afterward.
“It was really impressive. He played his a** off, man. It was unbelievable in the first half,” Shanahan said. “Got banged up a little bit there in the second half and battled through it. Protected the ball… I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”
Kyle Shanahan on Mac Jones performance tonight against the Rams:
“He played his ass off. Was unbelievable in the first half. Got banged up in the second half and battled through it and protected the ball going against that defense. Throwing the ball that many times without… pic.twitter.com/pbtIKurgLW
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) October 3, 2025
Jones started the night strong, going 5-for-5 for 70 yards with a touchdown on his opening drive. He followed that up with another six-yard score to Jake Tonges, giving San Francisco a huge lift. By the end of the night, he had completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Even after taking several hard hits, including one from Byron Young that left him limping, Jones fought through the pain.
MAC JONES AND KENDRICK BOURNE REUNITED IN SF AND PUT ON A SHOW IN PRIMETIME 🤩
Mac: 33-49, 342 YDS, 2 TD
Kendrick: 10 REC, 142 YDS pic.twitter.com/dYI9XmVZ84
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2025
The 49ers weren’t at full strength, with stars like Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall sidelined. Yet, Christian McCaffrey added 57 yards and a touchdown, while the defense held firm in overtime to secure the win.
As for Purdy, he continues to battle a turf toe injury that has sidelined him in three of the last four games. NFL insiders expect him to return as early as October 19 against the Falcons, although his recovery could stretch into October 25 against the Texans. Until then, Jones has shown he can keep the 49ers rolling.
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