An NFC West rivalry showdown is set for in Week 5, as an injury-depleted 49ers team will look to stage a road upset of the Rams.
San Francisco will be without some key starters for the game, with the likes of quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings all ruled out. That's in addition to the plethora of injuries the team has already been hit by earlier this season, including Nick Bosa's season-ending ACL tear.
Even with the injury bug biting, the Niners have remained competitive in 2025. Mac Jones has been effective in the place of Purdy and the team is 3-1 heading into Thursday's game.
As for the Rams, they're one blocked game-winning kick away from being 4-0 on the year. They're favorites for Thursday's game, entering the fray with a cleaner bill of health than San Francisco, and playing in front of their home crowd at SoFi Stadium.
We're going to make some bold predictions for the Week 5 rivalry game, including a final pick for the score and result of the game.
Puka Nacua Feasts on 49ers' Secondary
Last week, Puka Nacua's dominant performance effectively ended Xavien Howard's career. The Colts DB announced his retirement on Wednesday, a few days after the Rams wideout exploded for 13 catches, 170 yards and a touchdown.
Nacua has been incredible in 2025. He's had 91+ receiving yards in every game, and has just one outing with less than 10 catches on the year. The 49ers' secondary has limited opponents to just 165 passing yards per game this season, but they haven't exactly played many formidable passing offenses. The Rams will be their most difficult test yet, and Nacua, who has 26 catches in three career games against San Francisco, looks likely to have a big game.
I'm predicting Nacua will notch his fourth 100+ yard game of the season and he'll score a pair of touchdowns, too.
Jared Verse Gets the Better of Trent Williams in Dominant Performance
Jared Verse spoke highly of 49ers tackle Trent Williams heading into Thursday's game. Williams is one of the best offensive linemen in the league, and has been since Verse was just a kid. Now, they'll be lined up opposite one another, and Verse will certainly be looking to do whatever it takes to get into the backfield.
Williams hasn't been at his best this season, and I'm expecting Verse to not only win the matchup in the trenches, but to do it with relative ease. The outside linebacker has recorded a sack and forced a fumble in each of the last two games, and I'm expecting him to continue wreaking havoc on Thursday.
Verse is going to cook Williams in the trenches and leave Thursday's game with at least one sack as well as a forced fumble.
Mac Jones Wins Again … And Keeps the Starting Quarterback Job
The 49ers are once again trotting Mac Jones out to play quarterback this week after Brock Purdy reaggravated his turf toe injury in last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars.
Jones took over for the $265 million dollar man in Weeks 2 and 3, leading San Francisco to two wins—including a last-second thriller over the Cardinals—while throwing for 563 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception.
Purdy then came back last week and was defeated by Jacksonville, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in the process.
If Jones—a cerebral player who was reportedly coveted by coach Kyle Shanahan back in the 2021 draft—can play well again and win, perhaps the 49ers choose to stick with the former first-rounder moving forward.
As for my prediction? It's exactly that. Mac leads the San Fran offense to 28+ points on Thursday night, doesn't turn the football over, and secures his third win of the season—leaving the 49ers with a decision to make under center heading into Week 6.
Christian McCaffery Tallies 100 Receiving Yards for First Time Since 2019
If Mac Jones is going to get the 49ers back in the win column on Thursday night, he's going to have to rely on his team's top offensive weapon to do so.
Enter: Christian McCaffrey.
The 29-year-old star is far more than just a running back. Lining up all over the formation in Shanahan's West Coast system, McCaffery is on pace to log 1,000+ yards in 2025 after four straight dominant performances through the air to begin the season.
With San Francisco hurting at wide receiver, Shanahan is likely to funnel the offense through his running back, and Jones is likely to lean on a security blanket to take some of the load off. Look for McCaffrey to tally his first 100+ yard receiving game since 2019, back when he was catching passes from Cam Newton in a Panthers uniform.
