INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Entering Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers had exactly zero receivers or tight ends on the roster who caught a pass for them in 2024.
There was no George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall or Jauan Jennings. They didn't have starting quarterback Brock Purdy, either. On paper, everything about Thursday night screamed Rams in a runaway.
Everything, that is, except the final scoreboard. The Niners came up with their gutsiest performance of the first five weeks, stealing a win away from the Rams and staking their claim to first place in the NFC West at 4-1 and 3-0 in the division.