Mac Jones, Bourne, and Rookie Defense Power 49ers to OT Win vs. Rams
The Niners walked into SoFi with a so-called “backup quarterback” and walked out with a season-defining overtime win. It wasn’t Brock Purdy. It wasn’t some run-heavy, hide-the-QB performance. It was Mac Jones throwing for 342 yards, Kendrick Bourne turning into Randy Moss lite with 10 catches, and two rookies sealing the game like they’d been in the league for years. Final: 49ers 26, Rams 23, OT.
This game had everything. Quarterback controversy? Check. Coaching boldness? Check. Heart-attack turnovers, brutal penalties, redemption arcs, and an overtime defensive stand? Check, check, and check. This wasn’t just a Thursday night divisional game. This was a “circle it on the schedule” game that people are still going to be talking about in December.
A Tale of Two Halves
First half: San Francisco looked like they owned the building. McCaffrey lined up everywhere — slot receiver, short-yardage hammer, decoy in motion. The Rams couldn’t get Davante Adams going, and Matthew Stafford looked out of sync. Meanwhile, Jones was dealing. He hit McCaffrey on a gorgeous touchdown and finished the half by running a two-minute drill through chaos (illegal formation, timeout confusion, you name it) to put points on the board.
Second half: Stafford suddenly turned into 2011 Stafford, slinging for nearly 400 yards by night’s end. The Rams leaned on Kyren Williams, the crowd woke up, and the game started feeling like a bar fight. But every time it looked like momentum had swung, San Francisco’s defense — or a rookie — came up with a play to snatch it back.
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“Mac Jones Mode”
This wasn’t game-manager Mac. This was “I’ve got the keys, and you’re not taking them back” Mac. He finished 33 of 49 for 342 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 100.9 rating. More importantly: he looked like he belonged. He stood in against pressure, took hits, came up limping more than once, and kept delivering.
That two-minute drive before halftime? That’s the kind of sequence coaches replay in film sessions for years — penalties everywhere, receivers lined up wrong, Shanahan burning a timeout, and Jones still drives them into field-goal range like he’s Tom Brady on a random Sunday in 2003. If Purdy is the steady starter, Jones is the guy forcing Shanahan to lie awake at night thinking, “Okay, but what if…?”
Bourne’s Redemption Arc & McCaffrey’s Backbone
Kendrick Bourne’s second-quarter drop after a turnover could’ve been a killer. Instead, it was his wake-up call. He came back with 10 receptions for 142 yards, including chains-moving third-downs and the kind of contested catches that make quarterbacks trust you. If Jones was Batman, Bourne was Robin.
And McCaffrey? He wasn’t explosive — 22 carries for 57 yards, 8 catches for 82 — but he was the glue holding Shanahan’s offense together. Every creative look came with him as the chess piece. Motion him into the slot, split him wide, fake the inside zone — the Rams had to honor him every snap.
If you’ve been following his workload this season, check our running updates on 49ers News.
Rookies Who Wrote the Ending
This is where it felt like a Hollywood script. Alfred Collins forces a fumble at his own one-yard line to save a touchdown. Later, in overtime, Marques Sigle — who was flying around all night and finished with 13 tackles — joins Collins for the game-winning 4th-down stop. Two rookies, in a rivalry game, in overtime, shutting the door on the Rams.
Throw in Bryce Huff’s sack and Fred Warner’s usual sideline-to-sideline dominance (12 tackles), and you’ve got a defense that didn’t look perfect on paper but looked clutch on the field. Stafford’s 389 passing yards feel like empty calories when you lose because two kids just punked you at the goal line.
Want to know more about how these young guys are shaping the roster? Visit our On The Radar rookie spotlight section.
Shanahan Goes Rogue
We have to talk about it: 4th down at his own 37. Shanahan didn’t blink. He went for it. The analytics nerds probably loved it. The old-school guys probably hated it. But in this game, it sent a message: we’re dictating terms. Add in the creative personnel groupings — McCaffrey in the slot, Robinson Jr. in the backfield — and it felt like Shanahan was finally playing with house money.
Say what you will about the guy, but he showed aggression with Jones in the huddle. That could tell you a lot about how he feels about this QB situation behind closed doors.
For more on Shanahan’s boldness, see the national reaction via Reuters’ coverage of Purdy’s absence.
Game-Changers
- Trevis Gipson’s fumble recovery after Corum’s mistake flipped momentum in the second quarter.
- Bourne’s bounce-back from the early drop kept the offense alive.
- Collins and Sigle’s overtime stop? The stuff you tell your grandkids about.
Final Score
49ers 26, Rams 23 (OT)
Looking Ahead
The Niners didn’t play a perfect game — the defense gave up nearly 400 through the air, the run game was stuck in second gear, and discipline was shaky at times. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is Mac Jones looked like a starter, Kendrick Bourne played like a difference-maker, and two rookies decided the outcome on the road in overtime.
That’s the kind of win that builds belief in the locker room. That’s the kind of win that changes how the rest of the NFC looks at you. And that’s the kind of win that makes Shanahan’s life complicated when Purdy gets healthy.
Questions Fans Are Asking
Did Mac Jones just make this a quarterback controversy?
Yes. 342 yards, 2 TDs, no turnovers, and a clutch overtime win make it impossible to ignore. Shanahan has a real decision when Purdy’s back.
How did the defense look despite Stafford’s 389 yards?
It was bend-but-don’t-break. They gave up chunks, but the forced fumble at the 1, the blocked extra point, and the overtime stop were game-winners.
What made Kendrick Bourne the offensive star?
He turned an ugly drop into motivation, finishing with 10 catches and 142 yards. When Jones needed a go-to guy, Bourne became that guy.
What does Shanahan’s aggressive 4th-down call mean going forward?
It shows he’s willing to gamble with this roster, even deep in his own territory. That mindset might define this season’s identity.