The San Francisco 49ers entered Thursday night as 8.5-point underdogs, missing Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Nick Bosa among others. What they did have, though, was Mac Jones, and the veteran quarterback delivered one of his finest performances, carrying the Niners to a stunning 26–23 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Playing with a Chip on His Shoulder

Head coach Kyle Shanahan made sure Jones knew before kickoff just how big an underdog San Francisco was. The motivational tactic worked. Jones, who admitted he doesn’t pay attention to odds or social media, laughed it off and said, “Yeah, let’s go kill them.”

From the opening drive, he backed that up.

The Numbers

Despite playing through a sprained knee and cramping in his throwing arm, Jones finished:

• 33-of-49 passing
• 342 yards
• 2 touchdowns
• 0 interceptions
• 100.9 passer rating

It marked his most efficient and aggressive outing in a 49ers uniform. He completed 96% of his throws on target, with only two misfires across 49 attempts. Even when pressured, he remained poised, going 6-of-9 for 53 yards and four first downs.

Making It Work With a Thin Cast

Jones wasn’t exactly surrounded by household names. His starting receivers were Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson, with Luke Farrell at tight end. Yet, he elevated the group. Kendrick Bourne, just two weeks removed from a three-drop game, rebounded with 10 catches for a career-high 142 yards, eight of them for first downs.

Jones spread the ball around early, finding Jake Tonges and Christian McCaffrey for first-half touchdowns to build a 14–0 lead. McCaffrey also added 139 total yards from scrimmage, again serving as the do-it-all engine of the offense.

Defense Comes Up Big

The Niners’ defense sealed the game late. Rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins forced and recovered a fumble at the goal line to stop what would have been a Rams’ go ahead score. Then, in overtime, rookie safety Marques Sigle helped stuff Kyren Williams on fourth-and-1 to set up Eddy Pineiro’s game-winning 41-yard field goal.

The Bigger Picture

San Francisco improved to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the NFC West, notching its biggest upset win since 2011. More importantly, Jones showed he could keep the ship afloat while Purdy heals from his toe injury. Shanahan praised him afterward: “He played his ass off… Going against that defense, throwing that many times without a turnover, I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”

The 49ers now get a bye before traveling to Tampa Bay in Week 6. If Jones keeps playing at this level, San Francisco might just thrive in Brock Purdy’s absence.