Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes, Kyren Williams rushed for two scores and the Los Angeles Rams avenged one of their two defeats with a 42-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.
Davante Adams and Puka Nacua caught touchdown passes as the Rams (7-2) extended their winning streak to four games while keeping pace with the Seattle Seahawks atop the NFC West.
Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes for 280 yards and extended his NFL-best passing touchdown total to 25. He has at least four TD passes, and 13 total, over his past three games.
Adams had six receptions for 77 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with a back injury and Nacua had five receptions for 64 yards.
Mac Jones threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-39 passing for the 49ers, who lost for the second time in their past three games. George Kittle had nine receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown for San Francisco (6-4), while Christian McCaffrey had eight receptions for 66 yards.
The Rams got off to an ideal start, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives to take a 21-0 lead.
Williams scored on a 2-yard TD run with 10:14 remaining in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. Los Angeles added a 22-yard TD pass from Stafford to Nacua for a 14-0 advantage.
The third Los Angeles TD in three drives came on a 4-yard catch from tight end Davis Allen with 13:41 before halftime.
The 49ers started to chip away in the second quarter, getting a 6-yard TD reception from Jauan Jennings.
San Francisco made it a one-score game at 21-14 on a Brian Robinson Jr.’s 1-yard run with 9:33 remaining in the third quarter. The Rams went up 28-14 on Adams’ 2-yard TD catch late in the third.
Again the 49ers got to within one score at 28-20 on a 9-yard TD pass to Luke Farrell, but Jared Verse blocked Eddy Pineiro’s PAT. The Rams went up 35-20 with 10:04 remaining on a 7-yard TD run from Williams and got a Colby Parkinson 16-yard TD reception with 5:10 remaining.
Kittle caught a 13-yard TD pass for San Francisco with 2:59 remaining.
