San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams Week 15 Live Blog

SANTA CLARA — This is the live blog for the 49ers’ Week 15 Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams. This will be updated frequently with information and analysis from the press box.

4:08 Here are the 49ers’ inactives: LT Trent Williams, RB Israel Abanikanda, CB Rock Ya-Sin, S Malik Mustapha, DT Khalil Davis and Q Joshua Dobbs.

4:09 Here are the Rams’ inactives: C Dylan McMahon, LB Brennan Jackson, RB Cody Schrader, CB Cobie Durant, QB Stetson Bennet.

4:10 Nick Bosa, Dre Greenlaw and Isaac Guerendo all will play tonight. Bosa played in the 49ers’ Week 3 loss to the Rams, but Greenlaw did not, so maybe his presence will make a difference. Talanoa Hufanga also didn’t play Week 3 and will start tonight, so he should help. But the key to the game for the 49ers will be pressuring Matthew Stafford. He’s an elite quarterback who can carve up the 49ers excellent secondary if he has time to throw. And he likes to step up in the pocket. So the 49ers have to get pressure in his face. When they’ve done that in the past, they’ve beaten him. Last week, the 49ers recorded six sacks on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, but he’s not nearly as good as Stafford. Last time they faced him, they sacked him three times, which evidently wasn’t enough.

4:15 With so much at stake, expect an extremely hard-fought, low-scoring game. The rain should keep scoring down as well. Which means special teams could decide the winner. And the 49ers have perhaps the worst special teams in the league. I expect Jake Moody to miss one field goal and that will be the difference.

FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: 49ers 20, Rams 23.

5:13 The Rams win the toss and defer. The 49ers will receive the opening kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

5:18 First play of the game, Ahkello Witherspoon breaks up a short pass intended for Deebo Samuel, and the 49ers eventually go 3 and out.

5:22 On 3rd and 14 from the Rams 25, Matthew Stafford forces a pass over the middle to Cooper Kupp and nearly gets intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir, who drops the ball, and the Rams go 3 and out. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 26.

5:28 First play of the drive, George Kittle catches a 33-yard pass. So of course they never go back to him. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 37, Brock Purdy hands off to Deebo Samuel who gains 2 yards. Terrible call. Then Jake Moody makes a 53-yard field goal.

49ers 3, Rams 0.

5:33 On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 41, Stafford throws a pass directly to Talanoa Hufanga who drops it because he has a cast on his hand, and the Rams go 3 and out. Horrible start for Stafford. Excellent start for the 49ers defense. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 19.

5:36 First two plays of the drive go to Samuel who gains 6 yards total, and the 49ers go 3 and out. All these Deebo plays are wasted. What a mess. After the punt, the Rams take over at their 20.

5:41 On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 27, Stafford sails a pass over the head of Cooper Kupp, who wasn’t open. Charvarius Ward was all over him. And the Rams go 3 and out again. They have no first downs. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 22.

5:45 On 3rd and 6 from midfield, Purdy holds the ball forever in the pocket, jumps and gets sacked. After the punt, the Rams take over at their 16. The rain is come down heavy right now.

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