Script, flipped.
The Rams lastly beat the San Francisco 49ers in a significant regular-season recreation.
Kyren Williams flipped too.
In case you haven’t seen it, you quickly will. It’s an Instagram on the spot basic, a little bit of in-your-Fb aptitude. The Rams operating again ran what’s referred to as an arrow route via the center of the 49ers protection, caught a fantastically timed move from Matthew Stafford — one which required the precision of throwing into an open automotive window passing on the freeway — and punctuated the 15-yard landing with an impromptu entrance flip into the tip zone.
Williams wound up on his tush as a substitute of his toes.
“He didn’t stick the landing,” needled rookie operating again Blake Corum from the locker subsequent door. “I teased him about that.”
That’s about the one legitimate critique of Williams within the 27-24 stunner, an ultra-rare upset of the NFC West bullies by the Bay. He scored all three touchdowns, including a pair of scoring runs to his gem of a catch and carry.
“We haven’t gotten to use him as a pass catcher enough,” Rams coach Sean McVay mentioned. “I thought he did a great job of breaking off man coverage and then be able to have the swag to flip in was pretty cool.”
The Rams had been in a determined spot, in peril of dropping to 0-3 and dropping a second division recreation on the heels of a dispiriting blowout defeat at Arizona.
“Obviously there was a sense of urgency to this week about our preparation and the mentality of what we were going to do and how we were going to play,” Williams mentioned. “But I think it was something that was kind of unspoken, something that we knew we had to do. An 0-3 start is not good. We prepared this week to make sure that didn’t happen.”
The sport was a battle of the backups on each side, with the Rams lacking receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, in addition to tight finish Tyler Higbee, who’s nonetheless recovering from a extreme knee damage from January. The 49ers had been with out operating again Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel and tight finish George Kittle.
All of the extra cause that sturdy starters resembling Williams wanted to step up. And the Rams didn’t scrap the operating recreation, even once they trailed by as many as 14 factors and the sport seemed to be slipping away.
The run risk created alternatives within the passing recreation and helped the Rams transfer the ball successfully within the pink zone, one thing they couldn’t reliably do in highway losses at Detroit and the Cardinals.
Williams didn’t put up stratospheric numbers — 89 yards in 24 carries — however he was a hammer close to the objective line, scoring on runs of three and 4 yards.
Rams operating again Kyren Williams picks up yards in opposition to the 49ers. He scored three touchdowns, two on the bottom.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
Simply earlier than the profitable 37-yard area objective by Joshua Karty, Williams had a six-yard run that helped eat 31 seconds from the clock and turned a gut-check kick right into a layup.
“We got some really tough, hard-earned yards in some crunch-time situations,” mentioned McVay, whose offensive line included guard Logan Bruss, making his first profession begin. “Some short yardage, some third down and two or less. I thought our guys did a good job of removing the line of scrimmage.”
This didn’t present up within the statistics, however he was instrumental when it got here to chip blocking move rusher Nick Bosa coming off the sting, serving to preserve Stafford upright.
Williams additionally was involved about preserving one thing else in test: his feelings.
“I don’t really try to get too excited,” he mentioned. “I try to stay even-keeled because I know when you get excited and you start expecting things those things don’t come.”
Nobody noticed this ending coming.
And Williams didn’t pay a lot consideration to the 49ers followers going, both.
They had been within the overwhelming majority, portray each SoFi Stadium part pink.
Did Williams hear the group?
“Naw, I didn’t hear it,” he mentioned, ending the interview. “Play ball, baby.”
Perhaps he did stick the touchdown in spite of everything.
