Thursday Night Football between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers ended with 26-23 in overtime favoring the Niners. It was a gritty battle where every yard mattered. But Sean McVay and co. came up short in the moments that truly counted. 

And a crucial fumble just outside the end zone changed the game’s entire course. The player responsible for it? Kyren Williams. But what most people and referees missed is that the running back fumbled after he was punched straight to the helmet. 

Williams had pushed to the 1-yard line, fighting through defenders, when Alfred Collins of the 49ers broke free and threw a punch, right to Williams’ helmet. That hit jarred the ball loose, but the officials didn’t call a penalty.

A Reddit user spotted it immediately, asking, “Am I crazy? Or did Kyren take a straight right hook to the facemask before the ball was punched out?”

After the game, Williams was brutally honest with himself. “I just got to hold onto the ball. I feel like I let the team down at the 1-yard line, not securing the one thing that matters and scoring the touchdown,” he said. “So, for me, I put this all on me, honestly, and just knowing that I got to be better.” 

That punch and that fumble combined to slam a door on the Rams’ chances just yards from victory. The 49ers punted after that turnover, which sent the game to overtime. 

Williams admitted there’s “always a chance” to make a play but quickly shifted focus to the turnover.

He said, “We wouldn’t have even gotten there if I’d held onto the ball.” 

But that slip-up wasn’t the only reason the Rams fell. There’s another mistake that clearly points to the head coach.

Sean McVay’s final play decision

When the game rolled into overtime, all eyes were on head coach Sean McVay and his play calling. The Rams were trailing and faced a fourth-and-1 on the 49ers’ 11-yard line. McVay chose to pass up the field goal opportunity. But instead of handing the ball to their reliable quarterback, Matthew Stafford, McVay gave it back to Kyren Williams.

Stafford had been solid all night: 30 completions on 47 attempts, 389 yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions. He’d driven the team deep into enemy territory. But the blocking wasn’t there. 

With starters like Rob Havenstein and Tyler Higbee out, the play was behind a third-string tight end and two wide receivers. Many criticized this setup as a bad call in such a high-pressure moment.

SiriusXM’s Geoff Schwartz called it a “poor play call.” ESPN analyst Mina Kimes pointed out how the Rams’ rushing attack thrives against lighter defensive boxes but struggles against stacked ones. And that’s exactly what they faced.

McVay didn’t sugarcoat it in his post-game comments. “[Attempting a field goal] wasn’t even a thought. But the play selection was very poor. I’m sick right now because I put our players in a s—- spot, and I got to live with that.” 

Stafford backed the aggressive mindset, saying, “That’s a bread-and-butter short-yardage call for us. So, I didn’t have any problem with it…I love that we went for it.” But he also admitted the outcome was frustrating: “Just wish we kept the drive alive and found a way to score.” Now, McVay, Stafford, and LA have to shake it off and prepare for Week 6 versus the Baltimore Ravens.