Finally, the 49ers snapped the Rams’ win streak with a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory. According to the SportsLine Projection Model, which ran 10,000 playoff simulations, the loss dropped the hosts’ postseason chances from 59% to just 41%. Head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t hide their disappointment.

During the post-game conference, the coach praised their rivals for playing a hard game. He said, “You give the Niners credit, they made enough plays to be able to win the football game. We had plenty of chances throughout this game, we stayed in it, (and) we fought, we battled. But there’s a lot of things that we have to clean up and a lot of football left. I’m pretty sick right now.” It’s clear. They were the favorites, but couldn’t win.

The 49ers never gave the ball away, but the Rams lost it twice on fumbles. That made a big difference. On fourth downs, the 49ers were perfect, 3-for-3. The Rams made 2 of 3. The 49ers also kept the ball much longer. They had it for about 40 minutes, while the Rams had it for only 26. That’s almost 14 minutes more. San Francisco ran the ball 33 times, and the Rams only ran 16 times. So, even though the Rams got more yards on each play and more yards overall, the 49ers stayed in control by not turning it over, making every fourth down, and holding the ball most of the game.

These errors cost them big time. He added, “Yeah, it did. It did happen. We had a chance to close the game out, and ultimately it didn’t go down for us.” Yeah, that’s right. With this victory, the Niners have gained the upper hand. They also improved their record to 4-1 while Rams tasted 2nd defeat.

Not only the coach, but even the QB was disappointed.

Sean McVay’s QB reveals his thoughts on loss

Stafford also echoed a similar sentiment. He said, “I just got to learn from them. Football is an imperfect game. You’re not going to have a perfect game. Everybody’s going to have mistakes in every single phase, every week probably.” He tried his best but couldn’t close the game.

In the first half, Mac Jones went 15 of 23 for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran 18 times for 54 yards. Stafford was 9 of 13 for 109 yards and 1 touchdown, with 39 rushing yards. Stafford had a perfect red zone at 100%, while Jones was 67%. In the second half, Sean McVay’s took control, throwing 17 of 29 for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Jones went 13 of 20 for 117 yards with no scores. Stafford’s passing and touchdowns picked up in the second half, while Jones slowed down.

Rushing yards were Stafford 39, Jones 20. Overall, Stafford finished 26 of 42 for 333 yards and 3 TDs, and Jones finished 28 of 43 for 296 yards and 2 TDs. Stafford’s late-game passing and scoring were better, while Jones had a stronger first-half running game.

When asked about their energy levels, he added, “They did a nice job of keeping it in play, converting on third downs, and we knew it was going to be just one of those games. Had to wait our time out a little bit. We did and got more cracks at it in the second half and did a lot with it. Just got to find a way to not turn it over as much in crucial spots, and then there at the end find a way to get another yard.”

Now, they need to regroup themselves. Moreover, Sean McVay needs to work on their first-half game. That’s where they lag.