No football fan would have predicted that a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night would be the best contest of the NFL season through three weeks - and yet, here we are.
A week after the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans made a strong argument against the very existence of Thursday Night Football, all the stars came out to give their best in Santa Clara in a matchup most fans would have gagged at when perusing the early-season schedule.
So far, the 2017 campaign had lacked a signature game to recapture people's attention after the 2016 season ended with the most spectacular Super Bowl ever. Only one prime-time affair thus far had finished with a score within seven points. No competing teams had scored at least 30 points in the same contest.
On Thursday night, essentially everything a fan would want to happen did happen in a narrow 41-39 Rams win.
First play INT✅
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) September 22, 2017
10 TDs✅
80 points✅
Muffed punt✅
Fumbled kickoff✅
Missed 2pt conversion✅
Onside kick✅
Game-sealing sack✅#LARvsSF
The stars starred. The young coaches showed off creative offenses. The highlights came early and often. And the action just didn't stop in the highest-scoring Thursday Night Football game ever.
Todd Gurley broke out of his sophomore slump, getting a career-high 33 touches as he scored three touchdowns and matched his scoring output from a year ago. He finished with 113 rushing yards, 36 receiving yards, and one of the most demoralizing third-down conversions possible.
Goodness, @TG3II. #LARams #TNF pic.twitter.com/OLSaA1ZjAP
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2017
Gurley spent the last two seasons as the Rams' only offensive star with name recognition, but a trade with the Buffalo Bills brought in Sammy Watkins - and he introduced himself to Rams fans Thursday night with a 47-yard deep catch before scoring two touchdowns to amass a total of 106 yards.
Absolutely INCREDIBLE effort by @SammyWatkins!
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2017
His 2nd TD of the night! #LARams #TNF pic.twitter.com/BM9rHN8vyx
Not to be totally outshined, 49ers veteran Pierre Garcon didn't let the Rams have all the fun. The receiver's seven catches for 142 yards weren't just good final stats - the 10th-year pro made two of the season's best catches to date.
Related - Watch: 49ers' Garcon makes 2 truly unbelievable grabs
It was an incredibly even back-and-forth affair, with neither team allowing the opponent to notch more than two consecutive scores.
| Category | Rams | 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 41 | 39 |
| Touchdowns | 5 | 5 |
| 1st Downs | 26 | 25 |
| Net Passing Yards | 292 | 308 |
| Net Rushing Yards | 126 | 113 |
| Time Of Possession | 29:43 | 30:17 |
In the end, a missed extra point to start the fourth quarter for the 49ers ended up being the difference between a loss and a trip to overtime to give Kyle Shanahan's team a chance at its first win.
The Rams' and 49ers' upcoming schedules may not allow another offensive outburst like this in the 2017 season. At least for one night, though, two teams who rarely get the prime-time spotlight made us remember why we love this game so much.
