Thursday Night Football predictions: 49ers at Rams | A to Z Sports NFL newsletter
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Thursday Night Football predictions: 49ers at Rams
First place in the NFC West is on the line as the 3-1 San Francisco 49ers travel to Los Angeles to take on the 3-1 Rams on Thursday Night Football. Whoever comes out on top may only lead the division for a few days as the Seattle Seahawks sit at the same record. The Arizona Cardinals aren’t far behind at 2-2.
The 49ers have been battling through injuries since training camp, and are entering their matchup against Los Angeles depleted, already having ruled out quarterback Brock Purdy as well as wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings. On top of that, WR Brandon Aiyuk, tight end George Kittle, and defensive end Nick Bosa are all currently on injured reserve.
The Rams are fresh off a home victory over the Indianapolis Colts. WR Puka Nacua was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in that game, catching 13 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown. Let’s take a look at the predictions for Thursday night’s showdown by several of our A to Z Sports writers.
Rob Gregson: “The 49ers are just too injured at critical factor positions for me to give them any benefit of the doubt in this one. If it is indeed Mac Jones again, he will have the hardest test of his three-game sample size thus far against Chris Shula and the Rams defense. Robert Saleh has the boys buzzing on that side of the ball, but no one is hotter than Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua. I believe in that duo more than I do the 49ers defense, and thus, my prediction of a big Rams win.” Rams 30, 49ers 17
Destin Adams: “Who doesn’t love a divisional showdown in primetime? This week two of the top NFC West teams go head-to-head with the Rams hosting the 49ers. I wish both teams were healthy because this matchup could have had “game of the week” potential. The 49ers are battling multiple key injuries across their roster, so you’d think this should be a walk in the park for the Rams. I personally refuse to think that way due to crazy things happening during divisional matchups every year. As long as Brock Purdy is out there, I think the 49ers have a shot to pull off the upset. The uncertainty around Purdy’s status for this game is too much for me to pick them, though. I’ll stick with the favorites (Rams) to pull out a hard fought win in Week 5.” Rams 27, 49ers 17
Kyle Crabbs:”The Rams have managed to swing the tide of the Sean McVay vs. Kyle Shanahan rivalry in recent years. I suspect we’ll see more of the same on Thursday night. Los Angeles is the more well-rounded team, they’re playing at home and they’re healthier. San Francisco’s got moving parts in and out of the lineup each and every week due to bumps and bruises and major injuries — it’s showing up. Having four turnovers is bad enough but in failing to rush for 85 yards as a team for the third consecutive week, the 49ers formula is fading while the Rams appear to be catching their stride. The late game magic from Matt Stafford against the Colts is big-league stuff — and Indy has more challenging personnel matchups than this 49ers team.” Rams 27, 49ers 17
Adam Holt: “The Rams and 49ers both sit at 3-1, but I’d fancy to see these two teams feel a bit different right now. LA is coming off a close victory over the Colts, while SF got taken out by the Jaguars in Week 4. The injury list for the 49ers is massive, while the bulk of the top talent for the Rams is currently healthy – to a point, at least. I feel like a banged up 49ers secondary struggles against the Rams pass catchers, and the LA defensive line makes enough plays to keep Brock Purdy (or Mac Jones) plenty uncomfortable. These NFC West matchups are always closer than you’d expect, but feels like Los Angeles will control this one.” Rams 27, 49ers 19
Nick Roesch:“NFC West showdowns on a Thursday night are usually glorious messes, just as we saw last week. I expect that to be the case for this game as well. The 49ers are beat up, but I think they’ll hang close. Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh are doing the best with what they have. San Francisco’s defense will keep the team in the game while forcing a couple of turnovers, but its offense will struggle to cash in against a vicious Rams front seven.” Rams 20, 49ers 16
San Francisco 49ers News
49ers at Rams Final Score Predictions: Kyle Shanahan will have to earn every penny to one-up his rival Sean McVay
See who our staff is picking to win the game on Thursday night.
25 potential NFL head coaches for 2026
Our Wendell Ferreira came up with a list of former head coaches, offensive/defensive coordinators, position coaches, and college coaches who could be candidates in the 2026 head coaching cycle. Let’s take a look at some from each category.
Former Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy: “He doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done with the Packers (especially early on) and the Cowboys. His current ceiling might not be the highest, but he’s won a Super Bowl and is a respected name to stabilize a franchise.”
Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady: “The Bills’ offense undoubtedly got better since Brady took over, and his name is as hot right now as it was when he took over the Panthers’ OC job in 2020. He’s a part of the process to make Josh Allen, already an elite quarterback, into the MVP he has been.”
Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury: “Kingsbury had a four-year stint as the Cardinals head coach, with limited success. However, he’s at a different moment of his career, and the performance with the Commanders’ offense is notable.”
Minnesota Vikings QB coach Josh McCown: “McCown is the only position coach in this year’s list, and that’s because he’s been mentioned as a future head coach since he finished his playing days. He’s had HC interviews.
Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter: “With a top 5 defense, Minter is one of the hottest names in this cycle. He’s still relatively young at 42, has strong NFL and college coaching experience, and his leadership style is impressive—learning behind Jim Harbaugh certainly helps.”
Los Angeles Rams DC Chris Shula: “Sean McVay’s coaching tree is as good as there is, and Shula has been with the Rams since McVay’s original coaching staff was built in 2017. He’s been promoted five times, including to DC in 2024. He’s made the most out of a young defensive group.”
North Carolina HC Bill Belichick: “Nobody in the NFL wanted Belichick in 2024 and 2025, but that could always change if a franchise wants a strong leader for a short period of time.”
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian: “Multiple college coaches are wanting to make the transition to the NFL, and Sarkisian could be the next one. His most recent NFL experience was as the Falcons offensive coordinator between 2017 and 2018.”
USC HC Lincoln Riley: “Riley helped develop three first overall pick quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams, so the blueprint of what he could do is there. Developing passers is his calling card.”
Colorado HC Deion Sanders: “Sanders is a big personality, and his Hall of Fame playing career plus results as a college coach validate his profile. He was connected to the Cowboys job this year before Jerry Jones decided to hire Brian Schottenheimer.”
Buffalo Bills News
25 potential NFL head coaches for 2026 as the next wave of leaders prepare to rise to the big stage
There are intriguing names for the next hiring cycle.
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