The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Los Angeles Rams from the start in their NFL Week 5 game on Thursday night. Despite missing key players, the 49ers’ offense impressed the crowd at SoFi Stadium with a stellar performance, while the Rams struggled to come back.
49ers' explosive start
The 49ers made their intentions clear early in the game. Despite being without their regulars at key positions like quarterback, receiver and tight end, the team didn’t let the pressure get the better of them. On their first offensive drive, the team lost 15 yards to a penalty, but still gained 72 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Mack Jones scored the team’s first touchdown on a 6-yard pass to tight end Jake Tonges. It was Tonges’ third touchdown of the season, tying him for the team’s all-time leading scorer. Running back Christian McCaffrey played a key role in the entire drive, carrying the ball 5 times for 40 yards.
McCaffrey and Jones' great play
The 49ers continued to be aggressive after the first touchdown. Mac Jones once again led a long 91-yard drive. Jones completed his second touchdown pass of the night with a 1-yard pass to McCaffrey on this 7-play drive. The highlight of this drive was the 49ers taking the risk of playing on fourth down twice and making it work. This was only the third time under coach Kyle Shanahan that they had converted two fourth downs in a single offensive drive.
At the same time, Christian McCaffrey completed his 84th touchdown (scrimmage) of his career. The feat moved him to seventh place on the list of players with the most touchdowns in their first 100 career games, surpassing legends like Priest Holmes and Eric Dickerson.
Rams' comeback attempt
After being completely pushed to the backfoot in the first quarter, the Los Angeles Rams attempted a comeback in the second quarter. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a perfect 14-yard pass to running back Kyren Williams, who took a spectacular leap into the end zone for the Rams’ first touchdown. The score gave the Rams a new energy among the team and their fans, but they still had a long way to go to challenge the 49ers’ strong lead.