Last night was the kickoff of week three of the NFL season, as the Los Angeles Rams faced the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. What many thought would be a boring game between two solid defenses turned into a strange shootout that was one of the wildest and most memorable games to be played on Thursday night.

A wild first half

On the first offensive play of the game, Brian Hoyer threw an interception which Nickell Robey-Coleman returned to the three-yard line. Todd Gurley punched it in on the first play and the Rams had a 7-0 lead.

Then the 49ers, who had not yet scored a touchdown this year, went on a 14 play, 81-yard drive that resulted in a 9-yard Hoyer rushing touchdown to tie the game.

The Rams then went down and scored on a three-yard passing touchdown to Gurley, the 49ers fumbled and the Rams got a field goal to start the second quarter up 17-7. The 49ers would get two more field goals but Todd Gurley would score his third touchdown on a two-yard run to make it 24-13 at halftime.

At halftime, Gurley's three touchdowns made him the first Rams player with three in one-half since Marshall Faulk in 2001. It was also his sixth touchdown in the first three games, making him only the third Rams player to do so, joining Hall of Famers Faulk (2000) and Elroy Hirsch (1951).

The second half and a crazy fourth quarter

The third quarter basically took place in only three drives.

Los Angeles has a 10 play, 74-yard drive that got stuffed at the one-yard line and resulted in a 19-yard field goal. Then the 49ers went down and went for it on fourth and goal, getting a one-yard touchdown run by Carlos Hyde. The Rams countered by going down and completing a one-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins on third and goal to make it 34-20 at right before the end of the third quarter.

The 49ers then marched down to open the third quarter, scoring on a one-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Celek. However, Robbie Gould missed the extra point to keep the game at 34-26. The Rams then marched down, with Jared Goff completing a 13-yard touchdown to Watkins to make it 41-26. Both teams then traded quicky three-and-outs on offense.

San Francisco then only needed four plays to score on a three-yard touchdown pass to rookie Trent Taylor, cutting the lead to 41-33 with 5:08 remaining. Pharaoh Cooper then fumbled the kick return for the Rams and the 49ers capitalized by scoring again on fourth-and-goal on a one-yard touchdown run by Hyde.

However, their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving it at 41-39 with 2:13 remaining.

The 49ers then recovered the onside kick, starting at midfield with a field goal winning the game. On third-and-10 the 49ers had a first down but Taylor was flagged for offensive pass interference. On 4-and-20, Hoyer was sacked by Aaron Donald and the Rams then ended the game with three Gurley runs to escape 41-39.

Statistical notes from the game

The Rams now have 107 points through their first three games, the second most in team history (119 in 2000).

In three games they also have as many 40 points games under Sean McVay as they did in 77 games under Jeff Fisher. Robert Woods (108 yards) Sammy Watkins (106 yards) became the first Rams receivers to both have 100 yards in a game since Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in 2006.

The 80 combined points tied the October 23rd, 1983 45-35 victory by the 49ers over the Rams for the most points in a game between these two rivals. Todd Gurley (113 rushing yards) had over 100 for the first time since week 14 of 2015 when he had 140 yards.
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