Niners Nation
Not to spoil the ending, but Thursday night belongs to Mac Jones.
The San Francisco 49ers somehow, someway pulled out a 26-23 overtime win in Los Angeles, defeating their division rival, the Rams, to move to 3-0 against the NFC West and 4-1 on the season.
There was no Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, or Jauan Jennings, but that didn’t bother Jones, as every time he got knocked down, he got up.
But with as good as Jones was, every time the 49ers needed a play to be made, somebody stepped up. We start our three stars with the player who might have made the play of the game:
Third star: DT Alfred Collins
Multiple players fit the role to qualify for Thursday night’s third star. Eddy Pineiro, Christian McCaffrey, and several players on defense fit the spotlight, but only one earned it. And it only took one play for Collins to gain the recognition.
Collins’ stat line was relatively pedestrian, with two tackles and a quarterback hit, but he found himself playing in a larger role in the second half, with Kalia Davis exiting the game with a hand injury at the half. Not only did Collins find himself playing a larger role, but he found himself in the exact right spot in the right moment to make the play of the game.
With the 49ers clinging to a three-point lead as the game was coming to an end, the Rams looked primed to either tie or win the game. Logically, Sean McVay had his sights set on the win, needing only five plays to move the Rams offense from their own 35-yard line to the 49ers’ three. Nearing the goal line with timeouts, McVay called to give the ball to Kyren Williams to try to brute force his way to a Los Angeles lead with a minute left in the game.
The hole was there, Williams hit it, and seemed poised to get the score. But, out of nowhere, came the big right paw of Collins, who punched the ball out at the one-yard line and recovered the ball himself, halting the Rams’ drive just short of paydirt.
While the Rams would get the ball back and tie the game to send it to overtime, the 49ers likely lose on Thursday night without Collins’ knockout right hook.
Second star: WR Kendrick Bourne
The 49ers don’t win this game without Bourne, full stop.
No Ricky Pearsall. No Jauan Jennings. No George Kittle. It figured to be a strength in numbers game for the receiving corps with the ball being spread out. That isn’t what Bourne envisioned.
Bourne led all 49ers pass-catchers with 10 receptions on 11 targets with a career-high 142 yards in a much-needed performance with lackluster games from nearly every other 49ers offensive weapon. Not only that, every time Bourne touched the ball, it was an important play.
Take his first reception, for example. The 49ers’ opening drive was a long one, going 72 yards on...
