The 49ers (12-4) host the Los Angeles Rams (9-7) at Levi's Stadium for a 4:25 ET kickoff in the season finale.
Both teams have already secured their playoff seeding: 49ers locked into the NFC's No. 1 seed; Rams locked into the No. 6 seed. Both teams expected to rest starters. Sam Darnold starts at QB for the 49ers; Carson Wentz starts for the Rams.[1][2][3]
The season finale at Levi's Stadium is the rest-the-starters game both teams have been pointing toward since the playoff seeding got settled. Brock Purdy gets a Sunday off. Christian McCaffrey gets a Sunday off. Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz get the starts that they have spent the year preparing to be ready for.
The 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs. The Rams have clinched the No. 6 seed. The Sunday afternoon is the formality before the playoffs begin.
The rookie Puka Nacua may break the NFL record for receptions and receiving yards by a rookie. The Rams will let him take a few snaps to chase the record and then pull him.
Week 18 is the NFL's seeding-finalization week. The 49ers have clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed. Around the AFC the Ravens have the top seed; the Chiefs and Bills are battling for the second seed. The Sunday finale is the kind of week where both teams' starters watch from the sideline and the third-string guys play meaningful snaps for the first time all year.
Through seventeen games the 49ers are 12-4 with a +194 point differential. The Rams are 9-7 with a +18. Both teams already locked into playoff seeding. Puka Nacua needs 4 catches to break NFL rookie reception record (105) and 50 yards to break NFL rookie receiving yards record (1,486). Vegas opens the Rams as 1-point road favorites (due to expected starter rests); total 38.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 11-5 | -- |
| Buffalo Bills | 10-6 | -- |
| New York Jets | 6-10 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 13-3 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 11-5 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-7 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8-8 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 9-7 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9-7 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-7 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 5-11 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10-6 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 8-8 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 7-9 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 5-11 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-4 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 9-7 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-8 | -- |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-5 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-5 | -- |
| New York Giants | 5-11 | -- |
| Washington Commanders | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 11-5 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-8 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 7-9 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-9 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 8-8 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-8 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-9 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 2-14 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Elijah Mitchell 1 yard rush ( Jake Moody kick) | 0-7 |
| Rams | Puka Nacua 19 yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Brett Maher kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Sam Darnold 1 yard rush ( Jake Moody kick) | 7-14 |
| 49ers | Ronnie Bell 5 yard pass from Sam Darnold ( Jake Moody kick failed) | 7-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Tyler Johnson 8 yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Brett Maher kick failed) | 13-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Carson Wentz 12 yard rush ( Tutu Atwell pass from Carson Wentz ) | 21-20 |
Carson Wentz scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown and converted the 2-point try to Tutu Atwell with 4:56 remaining to give the Los Angeles Rams a 21-20 win at Levi's Stadium in the Week 18 finale. Both teams rested most of their starters; Sam Darnold started for the 49ers, Carson Wentz for the Rams. Puka Nacua broke the NFL rookie reception record (105) and receiving yards record (1,486) before being pulled. Darnold went 16-of-26 for 189 with a TD pass to Ronnie Bell and a rushing TD. The 49ers finished 12-5, the Rams 10-7.[1][2][3]
Sam Darnold went 16-of-26 for 189 yards. Carson Wentz scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown and converted the 2-point try to Tutu Atwell with 4:56 left. The Rams beat the 49ers 21-20 in the Sunday-afternoon rest-the-starters game.
The result does not matter for either team. The 49ers had clinched the No. 1 seed last week. The Rams had locked in the No. 6 seed. Both starters in the quarterback room watched from the sideline. Brock Purdy got a Sunday off. Christian McCaffrey got a Sunday off.
Puka Nacua broke the NFL rookie reception record (105) and receiving yards record (1,486) before being pulled in the second half. That is the lasting story of the Sunday. The 49ers will see the Rams again, or maybe one of the other lower seeds, in the divisional round. The bye week starts Monday.
Rams 21, 49ers 20. Margin: -1. Final 2023 record: 12-5, +193 differential.
A 21-20 loss to the Rams in the Week 18 rest-the-starters finale. The 49ers finish 12-5 with the No. 1 seed already clinched.
How it unfolded
Darnold drove the 49ers to three first-half touchdowns: a TD pass to Ronnie Bell, a rushing TD, and a third score that put the 49ers up 20-7 at the half. The Rams trailed for most of the afternoon while playing their backups. Carson Wentz threw two touchdowns to bring it within a possession. With 4:56 left, Wentz scored on a 12-yard rushing touchdown and converted the 2-point try to Tutu Atwell to give the Rams the 21-20 lead. The 49ers' backup offense could not respond.
The turning point
Wentz's 12-yard rushing touchdown and the subsequent 2-point conversion. With the score 20-13 and the 49ers' backups managing the clock, Wentz scored and converted in the kind of two-play sequence that the Rams' starting offense never produced this year.
By the numbers
Sam Darnold 189 yards on 26 attempts with a passing TD and a rushing TD. Carson Wentz 163 yards on 24 attempts with two TDs. Puka Nacua broke both NFL rookie records (105 catches, 1,486 yards) on a four-catch, 41-yard, one-TD afternoon. The 49ers' starting offense did not play.
Personnel watch
Most starters did not play. Puka Nacua's record-breaking afternoon the lasting story. The 49ers gave Sam Darnold a full game's worth of starts, the kind of preparation that may matter if Brock Purdy goes down in the playoffs.
What it means
The regular season ends 12-5 with the No. 1 seed locked in. The bye week starts Monday. The playoffs begin in two weeks at Levi's Stadium against the lowest-seeded NFC playoff team.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Sam Darnold | 16/26 | 189 | 1 | 0 | |
| LAR | |||||
| Carson Wentz | 17/24 | 163 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Elijah Mitchell | 14 | 52 | 1 | 14 |
| Jordan Mason | 6 | 36 | 0 | 16 |
| Sam Darnold | 7 | 19 | 1 | 9 |
| Deebo Samuel | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| LAR | ||||
| Carson Wentz | 17 | 56 | 1 | 12 |
| Ronnie Rivers | 13 | 52 | 0 | 10 |
| Zach Evans | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Royce Freeman | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Tutu Atwell | 1 | -4 | 0 | -4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Chris Conley | 3 | 69 | 0 | 48 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 3 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud | 3 | 22 | 0 | 11 |
| Deebo Samuel | 2 | 21 | 0 | 15 |
| Charlie Woerner | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Elijah Mitchell | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Jordan Mason | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Ronnie Bell | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| LAR | ||||
| Brycen Hopkins | 2 | 47 | 0 | 29 |
| Puka Nacua | 4 | 41 | 1 | 19 |
| Davis Allen | 4 | 25 | 0 | 10 |
| Ben Skowronek | 2 | 22 | 0 | 17 |
| Royce Freeman | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Tyler Johnson | 2 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Tutu Atwell | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2023 W18 - 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams - Game Thread
