The race for the wild, wild NFC West is coming to a head, and the “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams is a crucial mile marker.
The 49ers (6-7) have been decimated by injuries in 2024, but entering Week 15, they’re still in the running for the division, somehow, some way. While they’ve had to navigate the injuries to the roster, they’ve also had to deal with a little bit of off-field drama: wide receiver Deebo Samuel recently put out the call to get more touches, which may force the offense into some changes entering the final four games of the season.
The Rams (7-6) have also dealt with their fair share of injuries this season that have led to a less-than ideal record, but their 44-42 win over the Bills in Week 14 may paint a more rosy picture for the remainder of the season. There are few secondary units across the league which can slow down the lethal duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua; The pair erupted for 254 receiving yards and two touchdowns in that victory over Buffalo.
And then, of course, there are the head coaches: Kyle Shanahan holds a 10-5 record over Sean McVay, but McVay’s Rams got the most recent win, a 27-24 victory over the 49ers in September.
The playoff race is heating up, and California is the epicenter of one of the tightest divisions in the NFL. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 15 “Thursday Night Football” game between the Rams and 49ers below.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
NEVER MISS A SNAP: Sign up for our NFL newsletter for exclusive content
The rain is coming down heavily in Santa Clara, and it has limited both teams’ productivity. Receivers on both teams have been unable to haul in passes that hit them in the hands, and both quarterbacks have had some bad misses.
Additionally, there have already been several potential interceptions that hit defenders in the chest before falling harmlessly to the ground.
On a rainy night in Santa Clara, it’s been a game dominated by defense through the first 15 minutes. Jake Moody’s field goal five minutes into the game remains the only score of the game so far.
The 49ers have the ball on their own 36-yard line to start the second quarter.
On the first play of the Rams’ ensuing drive, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted Puka Nacua on a 7-yard pass. The second-year receiver bobbled the ball initially before pinning the ball against a 49ers defender’s helmet and holding on as they fell to the ground.
Los Angeles was ultimately unable to advance any further and ended their drive on a second straight three-and-out.
Following back-to-back three-and-outs, the 49ers made it into Rams territory thanks to a 33-yard catch-and-run by tight end George Kittle. San Francisco kicker Jake Moody knocked through a 53-yard field goal after the drive stalled at the Los Angeles 35.
It’s 3-0 49ers after five minutes of action.
The Rams travel north to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers in their home building.
“Thursday Night Football” will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video for a national audience.
Fans in the Los Angeles market hoping to catch the game on TV can watch on Fox 11, while those in San Francisco’s viewing market can watch on Fox 2.
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the matchup between the Rams and 49ers will play out come kickoff:
For viewers looking for the “TNF” matchup between the 49ers and Rams, you can tune to Amazon Prime Video.
Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be in the broadcast booth for Prime Video, with Kaylee Hartung (sideline) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) providing additional coverage.
The Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows feature Charissa Thompson as host, as well as former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth as analysts.
Taylor Rooks is the feature reporter for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage. Albert Breer provides reports and analysis.
Both Nick Bosa and Dre Greenlaw will play against the Rams. For Greenlaw, Thursday night’s game represents his first on-field action since suffering a bizarre Achilles injury in Super Bowl 58 while running back onto the field.
While the 49ers offense will have Isaac Guerendo available, 11-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams is out.
The 49ers are favorites to defeat the Rams, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
Looking to make the “TNF” game a little bit more interesting? Here are some of the best bets for tonight’s 49ers-Rams tilt. All odds are via BetMGM as of Thursday.
Isaac Guerendo plans to play against the Rams on Thursday night, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
He left Sunday’s win with what head coach Kyle Shanahan called a possible foot sprain. Guerendo didn’t seem too concerned about his availability for “Thursday Night Football,” saying, via NBC Sports Bay Area, after the game that the team was just being cautious.
The 49ers are a better team when they a variety of ways to get Deebo Samuel the ball, especially when the offense is missing players such as Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk. The wideout is the second player in NFL history to register 4,000-plus receiving yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards in his first five seasons.
Samuel should be a focal point of the 49ers offense if the team wants to defeat the Rams, get out of last place in the NFC West and make a late postseason surge. The 49ers seem to understand that after Samuel’s deleted social media post. — Tyler Dragon
The “TNF” matchup between the 49ers and Rams is taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Levi’s Stadium opened in 2014. It was the host venue for Super Bowl 50, which was won by the Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers. Levi’s Stadium also will host Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8, 2026.
➤ Ranking NFL’s stadiums from 1 to 30: Where does 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium rate?
Game time temperatures at Levi’s Stadium will be in the mid-50s, according to AccuWeather. There is a good chance for precipitation during the game.
The Seahawks are currently in control of the NFC West, but the division is still very much up for grabs entering the remainder of the season.
The Rams have the clearest path to challenging the Seahawks. They could earn a head-to-head sweep over the Seahawks, which could prove critical in deciding a two-team tiebreaker. The Rams also have the most games remaining against the division among the four teams. That gives Los Angeles a chance to improve its 2-1 divisional record.
Getting to four wins would position the Rams to win that tiebreaker category, provided they beat the Seahawks in Week 18.
No team has a bigger uphill battle to climb to win the NFC West than the 49ers.
San Francisco only has one divisional win, and the best it can hope for in its two remaining head-to-head matchups is to split with the Rams and Cardinals. Both teams have already taken down the 49ers once this year.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the 49ers have odds of +1000 to make the playoffs entering Week 15. That gives San Francisco a 9.09% chance of qualifying for the postseason.
The 49ers’ remaining four opponents have a combined winning percentage of .596, per Tankathon. That is tied for the fifth-hardest remaining schedule among the NFL’s 32 teams.
Below is a full look at San Francisco’s schedule:
The Rams’ remaining four opponents have a combined winning percentage of .442, per Tankathon. That ranks 21st among the NFL’s 32 teams, meaning that Los Angeles will finish the season with an easier schedule than average.
Below is a full look at Los Angeles’ schedule:
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
The 49ers have eight total Super Bowl appearances and five rings to show for it, the most recent victory coming during the 1994 season in Super Bowl XXIX.
The Rams have played in five Super Bowls — winning two, most recently Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
Do you like football? Then you’ll enjoy getting our NFL newsletter delivered to your inbox. 📲
Get the latest news, expert analysis, game insights and the must-see moments from the NFL conveniently delivered to your email inbox. Sign up now!
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
