‘Niners Clinch Playoff Spot in Final Week of Regular Season
An interception by Ambry Thomas sealed the victory in overtime
The San Francisco 49ers walked into their Week 18 game with a record of 9-7, sitting in 6th place in the National Football Conference (NFC) — needing a win to secure a spot in the playoffs. They had won their previous five matchups against the Los Angeles Rams, their opponent for the game, dating back to the 2019 season.
The Rams got off to a hot start, scoring on each of their first three possessions and jumped out to a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. It wasn't until the final minute of the first half that the Niners moved the ball down the field and managed to kick a field goal, earning the team’s first points of the game.
After halftime, San Francisco came out firing. They put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off by a 16-yard Deebo Samuel touchdown, pulling the 49ers within seven.
San Francisco followed up with another stellar 74-yard drive in their next possession. The protagonist on the drive was once again Deebo Samuel, this time throwing a 30-yard touchdown in a trick play to Jauan Jennings, knotting the game at 17 late in the third quarter.
After a rocky first half, the 49er defense tightened up in the second half, allowing only seven points and forcing one interception. Other than the 92-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter, the Niners only gave up a combined 26 yards in four possessions.
Jimmy Garoppolo was not overly impressive, throwing for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Nevertheless, with the game on the line, Garoppolo managed to string together a nearly perfect two-minute drive, going 88 yards in only five plays to tie the game at 24 and send it to overtime.
San Francisco won the coin toss in overtime and elected to receive, bringing the ball deep into Los Angeles territory while chewing up a majority of the clock in the lone overtime quarter. However, the Rams stepped up in the red zone and forced the Niners to settle for a field goal. The Rams had no success on their possession as it ended in an interception, giving the Niners the win and one of the NFC’s final playoff spots.
A big spotlight for the Niners continues to be on Deebo Samuel, with his stellar play as the team’s do-it-all Swiss army knife. The "WRRB1”, as people have begun dubbing him, rushed for an 18-yard touchdown and finished the game with 95 reception yards, 45 rushing yards, and two touchdowns.
The Niners wrapped up the regular season with 10 wins and seven losses, finishing third in the division. Two other teams in the NFC West (Rams and Cardinals) also made the playoffs, proving yet another successful season for the division.
The Niners travel to Dallas to face the 12-5 Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the National Football League (NFL) playoffs. The game will be at AT&T Stadium, on Jan. 16, with kickoff expected to begin at 1:30 PM.