49ers 27 vs. 24 Rams summary: stats, scores and highlights | NFL Week 18

The San Francisco 49ers are on their way to the post season after an incredible comeback in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. Ambry Thomas came up with the game winning interception in overtime to secure the 27-24 victory over the LA Rams.

Niners flat start almost cost them

For the Niners the scenario couldn’t have been more clear. Win and you’re in. If they were to lose, then they would need a New Orleans Saints loss or tie against the Atlanta Falcons.

Things weren’t looking too promising for San Francisco in the opening half as the offense struggled to move the ball, and the defense couldn’t contain Rams QB Matthew Stafford who was almost perfect through two quarters.

Garoppolo was questionable pregame with injured thumb

Jimmy Garoppolo’s status was uncertain in the week leading up the the game in LA, but the announcement that he would be under center for San Francisco was made pregame. Jimmy G had a wrap around his thumb that suffered a torn ligament and chipped bone in the game against Tennessee two weeks ago.

The Rams jumped out to a 17 point first half lead with a first half field goal by Matt Gay, and two touchdown receptions from Tyler Higbee. It looked as if LA was going to cruise to victory

Tale of two halves at SoFi

The 49ers managed just 23 yards of total offense before constructing a 61 yard drive that led to a Robbie Gould field goal right before the half. The field goal was the turning point in the game.

After going into the halftime break 17-3 the Niners got the ball to start the third quarter. Garoppolo and the San Francisco offense looked completely revamped to start the second half, perhaps after seeing that the Saints were in command against the Falcons.

The Niners stuck with what got them to this point of the season, which was the run game. Deebo Samuel competed Niners first touchdown drive with a 16 yard run to bring San Francisco within a 7.

Niners run game comes to life in second half

After holding the Rams to a three and out on the next drive, the Niners started to ground and pound. They ran the ball 10 straight times before running an end around to Deebo Samuel, and Samuel tossed it down the field to a wide open Jauan Jennings for a 24 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 17 with under two minutes to go in the third quarter.

The scoring would come to a halt until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. The Niners had a chance to go ahead for the first time mid way though the final quarter, but Garoppolo was picked off in the endzone be Jalen Ramsey.

Rams take late lead with Kupp TD

The pick led to a five minute, 91 yard go ahead drive that was finished off by Cooper Kupp’s four yard TD catch on 3rd and Goal. The Niners season was in the balance with 2:29 remaining.

Jimmy G leads season saving drive

San Francisco were held to a three and out on the next series, and took a chance by punting the ball hoping for a stop with three timeouts left.  They got just that, but had just 1:27 to go 88 yards with no timeouts.

Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk for 21 yards, then Samuel for a 43 yard catch and run to bring San Francisco inside the redbone in a matter of three plays. Jimmy G hit Jennings on a 14 yard touchdown pass to take the game to overtime.

Gould gives Niners lead, Thomas pick seals it

The Niners won the toss and received the ball. The 49ers went back to running the ball against the tired LA defense, but were forced to settle for a field goal after a long drive to start the overtime period. The Rams had a chance to win it in the last few minutes of the OT, but Stafford was picked off by Ambry Thomas to secure the Niners a spot in the playoffs.

Garoppolo went for 316 yards and a touchdown on a day in which he went 23/32 with a torn ligament in this thumb. Brandon Aiyuk led the Niners with six catches for 107 yards, and Elijah Mitchell had 85 yards on 21 rushes.

The Rams still won the NFC West because the Cardinals lost to the Seattle Seahawks, but they did drop down to fourth in the conference and will have to play the divison rival, the Arizona Cardinals next weekend. The Niners will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

What a drive constructed by Jimmy G with no timeouts. Jennings had a huge night, but no catch was bigger than this one.

Kupp had the go ahead TD with just over two minutes to go in the game.

It looked like Ramsey ended the Niners bid for a comeback with this pick in the endzone.

Deebo this time through the air after the Niners ran it on every play of that drive before the TD pass.

The field goal at the end of the half led and the Deebo TD run to start the third quarter changed the course of the game.

It was all Rams early on after Higbee's second TD of the day.

Higbee with the opening TD early in the second quarter.

Here are the NFC first round matchups.

The three Wild Card's will be the Cardinals, Eagles, and 49ers.

So after tonight's craziness, the Packers will have homefield, the Bucs will be in second in the NFC with the Rams dropping to fourth right behind the Dallas Cowboys.

The game winning pick by Ambry Thomas to secure the Niners a spot in the playoffs

What a game that was from LA. There will be three teams going to the playoffs from the NFC West.

GAME OVER!!!

Stafford goes deep and it's picked off by Thomas!!! THE NINERS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!

Arizona has lost, so the Rams win the division, but they would slip behind the Bucs in the NFC seeding.

Just a reminder, the Niners can make the playoffs with a tie, and the Rams can secure the division with the tie.

We are at the Two Minute Warning from LA, and the the Niners need a hold to secure their play off spot.

Stafford looking to Higbee for the first time since the second touchdown of the day, and he picks up 9. 2nd and 1 coming up.

Stafford's pass to Kupp was incomplete, but Moseley is flagged for the pass interference and the Rams get a first down and the clock will stop.

Two straight incompletios to start the drive, and the Niners D line continues to get pressure on Stafford.

Here come the Stafford and his 42 game winning drives. They have 2:39 to go 82 yards.

FIELD GOAL NINERS!!!

Garoppolo goes to Kittle on the out route, and he is stopped short of the goal line.

Gould hits the 24 yard FG and the Niners have their first lead of the game.

27-24 with 2:45 to go in the OT period.

Jimmy G going back to Jennings on 3rd down and the Niners wil have first and goal from the 8 yard line.

Jennings on the out route on third down and the Niners move the chains on a 34 yard gain. They can win it with a touchdown

Mitchell with another chunky gain on first down, and they continue to pound it on the ground.

Samuel makes up for a dropped pass on the first play of the overtime with an end around for 12 yards.

He is exhausted in the huddle.

The game tying TD pass to Jennings. What an end to the fouth quarter.

San Fran wins the toss and they will get the ball first.

WE ARE GOING TO OVERTIME!!! Stafford was sacked to end regulation and here we go yet again.

What a catch by Higbee to start the drive. 1st and 10 from the LA 37 after the 12 yard completion. 21 seconds to go, LA has one timeout left.

This has been one of the best games of the season!! And what do we have waiting for us in the final 26 seconds.

Aftrer an offisdes it's 1st and 5 from the LA 14 yard line.

SAMUEL!!!! All the way down to the Rams' 19 and how do LA let San Fran march down the field so easily??

Fair catch by Benjamin at the 12, and the Niners are going to have to go 88 yards in less than 90 seconds to keep their season alive.

The Rams go conservative and run it on 3rd down wtih Michel. Timeout Niners with 1:34 to go in the 4th quarter.
SF will get the ball but won't have much time to work with.

A couple quick runs for no short gains brings up 3rd and 7 with 1:40 to go in the fourth.

Do the Rams risk it here on third down and try to pass?

Garoppolo is dropped in the backfield by Miller on 3rd down.

What a midseason pick up Miller was for the Rams.

San Fran has no choice but to punt facing 4th and 18. The Niners have 3 timeouts, but they cannot give up a 1st down.

Here come the Niners with the season on the line.

1st and Goal for the Rams. Their toughness will be tested right here.

Greenlaw flagged for a facemask and that brings LA inside the SF 25.

WHAT A THROW AND WHAT A CATCH!!! Stafford was under extreme pressure and lobbed it up perfectly for Kupp for a 30  yard gain on 3rd down. If the Rams win this game, that will be the play that made the difference.

On the replay of the interception you can see Garoppolo get hit in the head and he left the field complaining to the ref, and he had every right to.

INTERCEPTION!!!

Ramsey and the Rams defense come up with a huge play exactly when they needed it. Garoppolo threw into traffic looking for Kittle and Ramsey comes up with the pick after the deflection.

He tried to run it out instead of staying in the endzone for the touchback, so the Rams will start their drive from their own 8 yard line.

Aiyuk comes up big on 3rd and 4, and everytime the Niners need a big play, Jimmy G looks for Aiyuk. 1st and 10 from the LA 18.

What a draw up by the Niners on 2nd and 10. A WR screed to Samuel, and Deebo takes it 32 yards.

Again the Rams tackling has been terrible in this second half.

Mitchell starting the drive with a 13 yard run, and they need to feed the beast. He is breaking through arm tackles with ease and every time he gets the ball he is getting a big chunk on the ground.

I got so caught up I forgot to post this beauty of a TD pass.

The `pressure is relentless from the Niners front four. Warner drops Stafford on third down and San Fran will get the ball back with a chance to take the lead.

Again, the Niners need to run, run, and run some more.

Stafford with a strike over the middle on third down for 24 yards to Jefferson. He was 0/6 in the second half before that pass and let's see if that is what the Rams need to wake up on the offensive end.

Here we go... Robbie Gould is the fillin punter with Wishnowsky out with a head injury, and he tucks the Rams inside the 20 to start the fourth quarter.

LA finally comes up with a stop on 3rd and 7 and that will bring us to the end of a third quarter that was dominated by the Niners.

We head to the 4th quarter with both teams at 0-0. SF has 15 minutes to make or break their season.

San Fran has to keep pounding it on the ground until the Rams prove they can stop them.

INTERCEPTION!!!

Stafford is picked off by Moseley on 3rd and long and nothing is going right for the Rams, but everything is falling into place for the Niners!

San Fran ball from their 32 yard line.

The Rams have -2 yards this half, and the Niners have 149. How things have changed.

San Fran comes up with a sack on the first play of the drive, and the Rams look lost right now. 2nd and 17 coming up.

That was the first pass of that drive, and it the trick play couldn't have come at a better time. The Rams had to be trying to lock in on the run after getting torn apart on the ground, and San Fran uses that to their advantage to doop LA and tie the game up.

I hate to beat the same drum all night, but how much do you think those soft comments are running through the minds of the Rams defense?

They cannot stop the run at the moment.

The Niners are in LA territory after six straight runs. This drive is very reminiscent of the first game between these two teams.

Deebo doing it on the ground for a 16 yard TD.

Big pick up on third and one from Hasty to move the chains. San Fran is starting to go to the run a bit more in the second half, which is not easy to do when your trailing big from early on.

San Fran force the Rams into a three and out, and will have a chance to tie the game on this drive.

This second half could not have started better fo San Francisco.

Huge drive coming up for both teams. The Rams can take a lot of steam out of the Niners comeback hopes, but a stop by the San Fran would be huge.

Huge play to keep the drive alive hitting Hasty for 13 yards on 3rd down. The Niners have come out looking intent on getting back into this game.

We are underway in the second half. The Niners no question had a look at the Saints score, and now know they are going to have to win this game to make the playoffs.

Niether team's run game has showed up yet, The Niners have 10 yards on the ground and the Rams have 14.

First half stats

Jimmy G is not having a terrible game, he's 9/12 for 90 yards but Stafford has started on fire. He is 15/16 with 153 yards and two touchdowns.

FIELD GOAL NINERS!!!

San Fran is on the board and show a sign of life after a dismal first half. Gould hits the 42 yard field goal to bring the score to 17-3 before the half.

The Niners will get the ball back to start the half. They can get right back in this game with a TD to start the third quarter.

Aiyuk on the same play for 26 yards, and the Niners down it with 3 seconds to go in the half.

Best pass of the day for Jjmmy G on the first drive of the game. Ayiuk pulls in a 19  yard reception to give some life to the Niners chances for a score before the half.

San Fran finally get something going on the defensive end. A Bosa sack on Stafford will five the Niners the ball back with 38 seconds to go in the first half.

1st and 10 from the SF 15. Any sort of score would be usefull for the SF, but they have a long way to go with not much time.

Bad news for Niners fans, the Sanits just scored a touchdown to go up 14-6. If the slaughter continues in SoFi then San Fran will need a favor from the Falcons.

The Niners have no answer for Matt Stafford who is absolutely picking the SF secondary apart. He is 15/16 for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Higbee with TD catch number two.

INTERCEPTION!!!

Speaking of picks, Garoppolo is hit on his release and the ball is looped into the secondary right into the hands of Rapp.

The Niners might have to start thinking about making a change at the quarterback. Not sure you can blame what's happening all on Jimmy G and his thumb but it hasn't been pretty for San Fran, and they are in desperate of any source of inspiration.

The Niners get a much needed first down on a slant pattern by Jennings. It looks like those slants are the passes Jimmy G is most comfortable throwing. If I'm picking up on that, the Rams will have already been eyeing how to jump a route and come up with a pick.

Gutsy call by Coach McVay to go for it on 4th and 1, but Higbee rewards the risk taken by the LA coach with a 2 yard TD

TOUCHDOWN NINERS!!!

Stafford going back to Higbee for his second touchdown reception of the day.

The Rams jump out ot a 17-0 start, and the Niners look lost. San Fran fans at SoFi are going to start scoreboard checking pretty soon, hoping that the Falcons can upset the Saints.

The Niners have negative yardage halfway through the second quarter.

San Fran with a draw play on 3rd and 27 after two straight negative plays, and they go three and out.

The Rams were going to get great field position after the punt from in the endzone, but Powell ran it all the way back to the SF 19 after a 31 yard return.

The Niners avoid disaster on the first play of the drive. Garoppolo was stripped by Robinson, but the OL Compton recovers it.

TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!

Stafford off the play fake on 4th and 1, and hits Higbee in the endzone for a two yard TD pass. They go with the finess play instead of pounding it on the ground.

Stafford has started hot, he's 11/12 for 123 yards.

You wanted to see if the Rams have upped their toughness? This 4th and 1 will show us everything

Stafford hits Kupp a yard short of the marker, and we have a huge 4th and 1 coming up. The Rams look like they are going for it.

The Rams are marching down the field with ease. They have 1st and 10 from the SF 11 yard line. Here come the Rams in the red zone again. Can they get 7 this time down the field?

It may have been the Rams that were criticized for being soft earlier in the season, but the zone defense the Niners are playing is looking awfully spotty.

The first quarter comes to an end, and the Rams have had the lion's share of possession. They are in SF territory and will have 1st and 10 to begin the second quarter.

The Niners first drive comes to and end after the incomplete pass to Hasty. The Rams get the ball back looking to extend the lead heading into the second quarter. 1st and 10 from the LA 40.

Jimmy G's first pass down field is a bit under thrown as he was looking for Hasty. Not sure if that was just an under throw or if the thumb is taking a something off of the passes down field for Garoppolo

Not much working on the ground for the Niners and that's a good sign for the Rams. They allowed 150 yards rushing against San Fran last game, and they can't afford to do that again tonight.

There's Jimmy G again, hitting Sherfield on the slant pass for 13 yards. He starts the game 2 for 2 and his opening two passes would tell you that thumb is doing just fine.

Garoppolo's first pass had plenty of zip on it, although it was just a 6 yard toss to Kittle.

So here comes Jimmy G and his bummed thumb. The first drive will tell us all we need to know about how that torn ligament is affecting him.

FIELD GOAL RAMS!!!

A gang sack on Stafford puts and end to the drive for the Rams who have to settle for a 43 yard field goal from Gay.

Not a bad start for LA who put the first points on the board, but in the red zone their physicality will be tested and the Niners were able to hold them to 3 points.

Kupp with his first recpetion of the afternoon, and he takes it for 46 yards after a dime from Stafford.

He has a chance to make history today. He can end the day as the all time single season leader in receptions and receiving yards.

OBJ with a fantastic catch to move the chains and avoid a three and out on the first drive of the Rams day. He makes these catches look routine, but that was a near impossible catch. If OBJ in on throughout the playoffs the rest of the NFC could be in trouble.

The Rams were crushed in the media after the game against the Niners earlier in the season. Their toughness was called into question after getting beaten up by San Fran, this is a chance for vindication today

We are underway from SoFi Stadium! The Rams get the ball first after the Niners won the toss and differ.

The Rams are a 3.5 point favorite over the Niners and the Over/Under is set at 46.5

We are 15 minutes away from kick off to one of the games of Week 18.

Kupp will almost certainly finish with the triple crown of receiving.

The Rams pulling up flashing the drip.

There will be plenty of red in SoFi Stadium.

Jimmy G will be back under center for the Niners depsite a torn ligament in his thumb

The Niners flashing the drip on the last week of the season.

Click here for all you need to know about how are where to watch today's key NFC West matchup.

What LA needs to win division

The Rams don’t have as much on the line, but they are playing for the division title with a chance to finish behind the Packers with the two seed in the NFC. If they win today, they win the division. If they lose, they will need Arizona to lose or tie against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jimmy G to play despite thumb injury

Good news for the 49ers, they will have their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center for the most important game of the season. Jimmy G will play through a torn ligament in the thumb on his throwing hand suffered in Week 16 against the Titians. Garoppolo said it feels like he has constant pain in the webbing between his thumb and index finger, but will give it a go tonight from SoFi.

What the Niners need:

For San Francisco it’s quite simple. If they win they are in. They are one of two teams in the mix for the final Wild Card in the NFC, the Niners at 9-7 and the New Orleans Saints at 8-8. If the Niners lose, they would need the Atlanta Falcons to beat the Saints.

NFC West title on the line

The Rams have overcome a midseason crisis, and ever since their three game slip up they look like one of the top teams in the NFL. They are coming off a tight win over the Baltimore Ravens in a game LA never led until the final minute of the game. The win was LA’s fifth in a row, and a sixth win would mean a division title, and a second seed in the NFC.

San Fran's slow start

San Fran started the season 2-4, but have had a resurgence with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. With last week’s win over the Houston Texans the Niners put themselves in pole position for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC.

Playoff spot on the line for the Niners

Hello everyone and welcome to Los Angeles where it all comes down to this for the San Francisco 49ers. Los Angeles have a chance to win the division, and can keep their NFC West rival out of the playoffs with a victory tonight.

Niners vs. Rams

The San Francisco 49ers are playing for their postseason lives against division rival, the Los Angeles Rams. AS English will be keeping you up to date with live coverage, stats, scores and highlights of this afternoon’s marquee matchup from SoFi Stadium.