Sean McVay blames himself for bad final play in Rams loss to 49ers

The Rams played the blame game Thursday night.

They pointed plenty of fingers — but only at themselves individually.

Running back Kyren Williams blamed himself for fumbling at the one-yard line on what might have been a winning touchdown run against the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Sean McVay blamed himself for his call on a failed fourth-and-one running play that ended the game.

And there was plenty more blame to go around: See the Rams’ kicking game, and a defense that put the Rams in an early hole by giving up two touchdowns and made journeyman Mac Jones look like Joe Montana.

But really, blame San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

McVay’s former mentor and his plucky injury–riddled team sent the Rams to a 26-23 overtime defeat before a crowd of 73,652 at SoFi Stadium.

“I’m pretty sick right now,” McVay said.

With good reason.

The Rams fell to 3-2, blowing an opportunity to take over first place in the NFC West before a mini-bye and then heading off to Baltimore and London.

The 49ers improved to 4-1 and are 3-0 against the NFC West after victories over the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.

So that hurts the Rams more than their loss to the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, a game that ended when the Eagles blocked a winning field-goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown.

“We had a chance to win it multiple, multiple, multiple times,” said quarterback Matthew Stafford, who passed for three touchdowns against the 49ers. “Didn’t get it done. Those sting and piss you off.”

Profanity-laced shouts could be heard in the Rams locker room after a loss that prevented them from defeating the 49ers four times in a row.

“Not a lot of joyous faces in here,” receiver Davante Adams said. “But it’s definitely something to be said about a team that can play as bad as what we did and still have a shot to win the game.”

Here’s how bad the Rams were:

Williams and fellow running back Blake Corum both lost fumbles.

Kicker Joshua Karty, who last year beat the 49ers with a winning field goal at SoFi Stadium, missed a long field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked, the second PAT that was blocked this season. Karty’s kickoff in overtime did not reach the landing zone, giving the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.

“We certainly did more to lose that game than win,” McVay said.

McVay this week good-naturedly blamed his late grandfather John McVay for creating so many 49ers fans by helping assemble 49ers teams that won five Super Bowls.

And McVay and Shanahan have squared off for some classic matchups, including the NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium in January 2022.

But these were not the same 49ers — at least on paper.

With quarterback Brock Purdy receiving a massive extension before the season, the 49ers let go of numerous high-profile stars that helped them make two Super Bowl appearances in the last six years.

Even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is with the Rams.

Jones started in place of Purdy, who is nursing a toe injury. Tight end George Kittle, receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings and star defensive end Nick Bosa also did not play.

But the 49ers still prevailed.

The score was tied 23-23 at the end of regulation after the Rams lost a chance to win when Williams fumbled at the 49ers’ one-yard line with about a minute left.

“I feel like I let the team down, at the one-yard line, not securing [the] one thing that matters and not scoring a touchdown,” he said. “I put this all on me, honestly, just knowing I’ve got to be better.”

The Rams tied the score on Karty’s 48-yard field goal with two seconds left, sending the game to overtime.

Eddy Piniero’s 41-yard field goal gave the 49ers the lead, setting the stage for Stafford to lead one of his trademark comebacks for the second time in five days.

Stafford drove the Rams to the 11-yard line, where they faced a fourth-and-one situation.

Did McVay think about kicking a game-tying field goal?

“No,” he said.

None at all?

“In hindsight I wish I would have, but we came in here to try and win the football game,” McVay said.

Said Stafford: “I love that we went for it. I mean we’re not playing for a tie. Let’s go.”

After a timeout by each team, Williams took a hand off and tried to run off right tackle. But defensive backs Marques Sigle and Deommodore Lenoir stopped him for no gain, ending the game.

“It’s a bad call by me,” McVay said.

San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner, who was among the players to hit Williams at the line, said he knew what was coming.

“You could just tell by the way they lined up they were going to run the ball,” Warner said. “If they’re looser, maybe you worry about play-action. But when they came out, I knew it was going to be a run. My intention wasn’t to make the play — just to blow it up, make it muddy. And it worked.”

Instead of resting and relaxing for three days before they begin preparations for an extended road trip, the Rams must ponder how they lost a winnable game against a division rival.

“You were hoping to be able to have a few days off to be able to enjoy,” McVay said, “and this will certainly not make for a great weekend.”

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