49ers–Rams rivalry

San Francisco 49ers–Los Angeles Rams rivalry

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
First meeting	October 1, 1950 Kezar Stadium San Francisco, California Rams 35, 49ers 14
Latest meeting	December 12, 2024 Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California Rams 12, 49ers 6
Next meeting:	2025
Statistics
Meetings total	152 meetings (as of 2024)
All-time series	78–71–3: 49ers leads
Postseason series	Tied, 1-1 January 14, 1990 49ers 30, Rams 3 January 30, 2022 Rams 20, 49ers 17
Largest victory	49ers: won 48-0 on December 27, 1987 Rams: won 56-7 on November 9, 1988
Current win streak	Rams, 3 (2023–present)
Longest win streak	49ers: 17 wins (1990–98) Rams: 10 wins (1970–75)
Championship Success
NFL Championships (9) 49ers (5) – 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, XXIX Rams (4) – 1945, 1951, XXXIV, LVI Super Bowls won: 49ers (5) – 1981 (XVI), 1984 (XIX), 1988 (XXIII),1989 (XXIV), 1994 (XXIX) Rams (2) – 1999 (XXXIV), 2021 (LVI) NFC Championships (13): 49ers (8) – 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012, 2019, 2023 Rams (5) – 1979, 1999, 2001, 2018, 2021 NFC West Division Titles: 49ers (22) – 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2022, 2023 Rams (19) – NFL Western: 1945, 1949 NFL Coastal: 1967, 1969 NFC West: 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024

The 49ers–Rams rivalry is a rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League.

The rivalry began in 1950 and became one of the most intense in the National Football League in the 1970s as the two California based teams regularly competed for the NFC West Division title. The intensity of the rivalry is also due to the fact that Northern California (where the 49ers are based) and Southern California (where the Rams are based) have long been competitors in the economic, cultural, and political arenas.

During the Rams' 21 years in St. Louis, the rivalry did not have the geographical lore it once had, but games were still intense regardless of the standings. With the Rams’ return to Los Angeles in 2016, the rivalry became geographic once again. Sports Illustrated considers their rivalry the 8th best of all time in the National Football League. The 49ers and Rams are also the only two teams who have been a part of the NFC West since it was formed in 1970.

The Rams, who dominated much of the first 30 years of the rivalry, led the series by as many as 22 games in 1980, but the 49ers' strong play in the 1980s and 1990s, including a 17–game winning streak from 1990–1998 allowed them to take the lead. The teams have met twice in the NFL playoffs, once in the 1989 NFC Championship Game with a 30–3 49ers victory and again in the 2021 NFC Championship Game with a 20–17 Rams victory.

History

In 1950, the National Football League merged with the All-America Football Conference thus gaining three new teams. One of these teams was the San Francisco 49ers, making them the second NFL franchise located on the West Coast. The first one being the Los Angeles Rams, who had re-located from Cleveland in 1946. The NFL placed both of them in the newly formed National Conference (1950–52) guaranteeing that they would play each other twice during the regular season. In 1953, the National Conference was renamed the Western Conference and the American Conference was renamed the Eastern Conference which remained in place until the AFL merger forced re-alignment in 1970. For the 1967, 1968 and 1969 seasons immediately preceding the 1970 re-alignment, now with 16 franchises, the NFL divided the Western and Eastern Conferences into two Divisions of four teams each. Ironically, very similar to the present day conferences resulting from the 2002 re-alignment. The 49ers and Rams remained together in the Coastal Division of the Western Conference (1967–1969) and then in the NFC West Division since 1970. Owing to geography and the strength of their rivalry, the 49ers and Rams have remained in place as the only two teams in the NFC West Division continuously since 1970, despite the Rams re-location to Saint Louis in 1995 and further re-alignment in 2002. They have met twice every season beginning in 1950. Until 2021, their lone postseason meeting was in the NFC Championship Game following the 1989 season at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. This resulted in a 30–3 victory by the 49ers on January 14, 1990, immediately preceding their fourth Super Bowl appearance.

1950s

The first meeting between the teams took place on October 1, 1950, at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. The Rams were alternating starting quarterbacks between Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin during the 1950 season. Waterfield was the starter for the game, but during the second quarter San Francisco's Pete Wissman landed a hard tackle on the Los Angeles quarterback. Van Brocklin filled in for Waterfield, and the Rams went on to win the game 35–14. The two teams played each other again on November 5, 1950, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. After beating the Baltimore Colts 70–21 and the Detroit Lions 65–24, the Rams were favored to beat the 49ers by 20 points. Yet, the 49ers played a very physical game and only lost by a touchdown, holding the Rams offensive powerhouse to only 28 points.

The 49ers got their first win against the Rams on October 28, 1951. The 49er secondary was able to pick off Van Brocklin six times, more than half of the interceptions that he threw all season. The 49ers held the Rams to just 17 points, the lowest they put up all season and were able to capitalize on the turnovers en route to a 44–17 victory.

1970s

The rivalry was at its pinnacle during the 1970s. From 1970–79 one of the two teams won the NFC's West Division. The decade also featured a ten and eight game win streak by the Rams (the eight game streak stretched into the early 1980s). The 49ers were the NFC West's top team in the beginning of the decade winning the first three post merger division crowns. The Rams answered right back winning seven straight division crowns from 1973–79, culminating with Super Bowl XIV loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1980s

On January 2, 1983, a 1–7 Rams team met the 3–5 defending Super Bowl champion 49ers in San Francisco for the last game of the 1982 season (a players' strike shortened the season to 9 games), with the 49ers needing a win to make the playoffs. The Rams led late in the 4th quarter 21–20 until 49er quarterback Joe Montana led one of his patented two-minute drives, putting the 49ers in position for a short field goal. But Ivory Sully blocked Ray Wersching's kick to preserve a 21–20 win and knock the 49ers out of the playoffs.

On January 14, 1990, the two teams met in the 1989 NFC Championship game. The Rams were heavy underdogs but had already pulled off two upsets on the road in the playoffs (over the Eagles and Giants). The Rams took a 3–0 early lead and were driving again, but Rams quarterback Jim Everett noticed a wide open Flipper Anderson a second too late and the pass was knocked away by 49er safety Ronnie Lott. Instead of a 10–0 Rams lead, Montana led the 49ers on a touchdown drive and San Francisco took the lead 7–3. The 49ers would win the game 30–3.

1990s

The 49ers dominated the rivalry during the 1990s winning seventeen straight games against the Rams, and in 1998, took the lead in the all-time series against the Rams for the first time ever. The Rams had previously taken the lead in the series by as many as 22 games in 1980. That was short-lived, however, as St. Louis swept San Francisco in their 1999 season series to retake the lead in the all-time series. After nearly fifty years, it seemed like the rivalry was coming to an end when the Rams relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. Yet, some players did not believe so. Roger Craig stated in Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline that "the Rams will always be the 49ers' biggest rival. It doesn't matter if they no longer play in Los Angeles. If the Rams played their home games on Mars, it would still be a rivalry."

2000s

The Rams and their Greatest Show on Turf offense had the upper hand in the early part of the decade. But both teams fell into decline and neither team was a playoff contender as the decade wore on. The 49ers had the upper hand during the latter part of the decade, going 8–2 from the 2005 season to the end of the decade.

2010s

Until 2015, the Rams (the 49ers rival) were based in St. Louis, Missouri. After the NFL and owners approved their move to Los Angeles 30–2 on January 12, 2016, the rivalry became West Coast based once again and making it a Bay Area–Los Angeles rivalry again (similar to the Dodgers–Giants rivalry, Kings–Sharks rivalry, the California Clasico, and other Bay Area–LA rivalries).

In 2011, the 49ers took the all-time series lead for the first time in 13 years, and only the second time in the rivalry's history. Rams tied it back up with a win at Edward Jones Dome in 2012. As of 2017, San Francisco has led the series ever since.

The Rams were the only team to lose to the 49ers in 2016, as the 49ers swept the two-game series against the Rams but went 0–14 against the rest of the NFL. The two teams won one NFC championship each to close out the decade (Los Angeles in 2018, San Francisco in 2019), but neither team won the Super Bowl. In 2019, the second 49ers–Rams game was in Week 15; the Rams held an early 21–10 lead, but the 49ers came back, defeating Los Angeles 34–31 to knock the Rams out of playoff contention.

2020s

The 49ers swept the Rams for the second straight season in 2020, winning 24–16 on Sunday Night Football in Week 6, followed by a 23–20 victory in Week 12. It was the Rams' first-ever loss in their new venue SoFi Stadium. In 2021, the 49ers again won both head-to-head meetings. This included the regular season finale in Los Angeles, which had playoff implications for both sides. The Rams were already in the playoffs but could clinch the NFC West title with a win, while the 49ers needed a win to make it into the playoffs. The Rams held a 17–0 lead late in the second quarter, but the 49ers came back to win 27–24 in overtime, clinching a playoff spot. Ultimately the Rams won the NFC West anyway as the Arizona Cardinals lost their final game.

On January 30, 2022, the 49ers and Rams met for the NFC Championship Game in Los Angeles. The Rams defeated the 49ers 20–17 after trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter, advancing to Super Bowl LVI, where they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 to win their first Super Bowl championship since Super Bowl XXXIV, back when the Rams were based in St. Louis. It was the Rams first Super Bowl championship as a Los Angeles-based team.

First Meeting	October 1, 1950 Kezar Stadium
Rivalry Status	122 meetings
All time Series	60-60-2 (tied)

Season–by–season results

San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams Season-by-Season Results
1950s (Rams, 12–7–1) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 1950 Rams 2–0 Rams 35–14 Rams 28–21 Rams 2–0 As a result of the AAFC–NFL merger, the 49ers and Rams were placed in the NFL National Conference (later renamed to the NFL Western Conference), resulting in two meetings annually. 1951 Tie 1–1 49ers 44–17 Rams 23–16 Rams 3–1 Rams win 1951 NFL Championship. 1952 Rams 2–0 Rams 34–21 Rams 35–9 Rams 5–1 1953 49ers 2–0 49ers 31–30 49ers 31–27 Rams 5–3 1954 Rams 1–0–1 Rams 42–34 Tie 24–24 Rams 6–3–1 1955 Rams 2–0 Rams 23–14 Rams 27–14 Rams 8–3–1 Rams lose 1955 NFL Championship. 1956 Tie 1–1 49ers 33–30 Rams 30–6 Rams 9–4–1 1957 Tie 1–1 49ers 23–20 Rams 37–24 Rams 10–5–1 In Los Angeles, the Rams drew an attendance of 102,368, setting an NFL attendance record (broken in 2005). 1958 Rams 2–0 Rams 33–3 Rams 56–7 Rams 12–5–1 In Los Angeles, the Rams record their largest victory against the 49ers with a 49–point differential, scoring their most points in a game against the 49ers, and set a franchise record for their largest victory overall (broken in 1976). Meanwhile, the 49ers set a franchise record for their worst loss overall. 1959 49ers 2–0 49ers 34–0 49ers 24–16 Rams 12–7–1
1960s (Rams, 10–9–1) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 1960 49ers 2–0 49ers 23–7 49ers 13–9 Rams 12–9–1 1961 Tie 1–1 49ers 35–0 Rams 17–7 Rams 13–10–1 1962 Tie 1–1 Rams 28–14 49ers 24–17 Rams 14–11–1 1963 Rams 2–0 Rams 21–17 Rams 28–21 Rams 16–11–1 1964 Tie 1–1 49ers 28–7 Rams 42–14 Rams 17–12–1 1965 49ers 2–0 49ers 45–21 49ers 30–27 Rams 17–14–1 1966 Tie 1–1 49ers 21–13 Rams 34–3 Rams 18–15–1 1967 Tie 1–1 Rams 17–7 49ers 27–24 Rams 19–16–1 As a result of expansion, the two eight-team divisions became two eight-team conferences split into two divisions, with the 49ers and Rams placed in the NFL Coastal. 1968 Rams 1–0–1 Tie 20–20 Rams 24–10 Rams 20–16–2 1969 Rams 2–0 Rams 27–21 Rams 41–30 Rams 22–16–2
1970s (Rams, 17–3) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 1970 Tie 1–1 Rams 30–13 49ers 20–6 Rams 23–17–2 As a result of the AFL–NFL merger, the 49ers and Rams were placed in the NFC West. 1971 Rams 2–0 Rams 20–13 Rams 17–6 Rams 25–17–2 49ers open Candlestick Park. 1972 Rams 2–0 Rams 26–16 Rams 31–7 Rams 27–17–2 1973 Rams 2–0 Rams 37–14 Rams 31–13 Rams 29–17–2 1974 Rams 2–0 Rams 15–13 Rams 37–14 Rams 31–17–2 In Los Angeles, Rams' QB James "Shack" Harris finished with a perfect passer rating. 1975 Tie 1–1 Rams 23–14 49ers 24–23 Rams 32–18–2 The Rams win 10 straight meetings (1970–1975). 1976 Tie 1–1 Rams 23–3 49ers 16–0 Rams 33–19–2 1977 Rams 2–0 Rams 23–10 Rams 34–14 Rams 35–19–2 1978 Rams 2–0 Rams 31–28 Rams 27–10 Rams 37–19–2 1979 Rams 2–0 Rams 26–20 Rams 27–24 Rams 39–19–2 Rams lose Super Bowl XIV.
1980s (49ers, 13–8) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 1980 Rams 2–0 Rams 31–17 Rams 48–26 Rams 41–19–2 Rams move to Anaheim Stadium. Rams win 9 straight meetings (1976–1980) and 12 straight road meetings (1969–1980). 1981 49ers 2–0 49ers 20–17 49ers 33–31 Rams 41–21–2 49ers' first season series sweep against the Rams since the 1965 season. 49ers win Super Bowl XVI. 1982 Tie 1–1 Rams 21–20 49ers 30–24 Rams 42–22–2 Both games were played despite the 1982 NFL players strike reducing the season to 9 games. In San Francisco, the Rams block a potential 49ers' game-winning field goal in the game's final seconds. 1983 Tie 1–1 Rams 10−7 49ers 45−35 Rams 43–23–2 1984 49ers 2–0 49ers 19–16 49ers 33–0 Rams 43–25–2 49ers win Super Bowl XIX. 1985 Tie 1–1 Rams 27–20 49ers 28–14 Rams 44–26–2 1986 Tie 1–1 49ers 24–14 Rams 16–13 Rams 45–27–2 1987 49ers 2–0 49ers 48-0 49ers 31–10 Rams 45–29–2 In San Francisco, the 49ers recorded their largest victory against the Rams with a 48–point differential, scored their most points in a game against the Rams, and clinched the NFC West and the 1st seed in the NFC with their win. 1988 Tie 1–1 Rams 38–16 49ers 24–21 Rams 46–30–2 Both teams finished with 10–6 records along with the New Orleans Saints, but the 49ers clinched the NFC West based on having the best head-to-head record, regulating the Rams to the 5th seed. 49ers win Super Bowl XXIII. 1989 Tie 1–1 Rams 13–12 49ers 30–27 Rams 47–31–2 In Los Angeles, Rams' WR John Taylor became the first receiver in NFL history to score 2 touchdowns of 90 yards or longer in the same game. 1989 Playoffs 49ers 1–0 49ers 30–3 Rams 47–32–2 NFC Championship Game. 49ers go on to win Super Bowl XXIV.
1990s (49ers, 17–3) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams Overall series Notes 1990 Tie 1–1 Rams 28–17 49ers 26–10 Rams 48–33–2 Rams snapped the 49ers' 18-game winning streak and gave the 49ers their first loss of the season after starting 10–0 with their win. 1991 49ers 2–0 49ers 27–10 49ers 33–10 Rams 48–35–2 1992 49ers 2–0 49ers 27–24 49ers 27–10 Rams 48–37–2 1993 49ers 2–0 49ers 40–17 49ers 35–10 Rams 48–39–2 In Los Angeles, 49ers' QB Steve Young threw for 475 yards, setting a franchise record for their most passing yards in a game. 1994 49ers 2–0 49ers 31–27 49ers 34–19 Rams 48–41–2 Last season until the 2016 season the Rams played as a Los Angeles-based team. 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX. 1995 49ers 2–0 49ers 41–13 49ers 44–10 Rams 48–43–2 Rams relocate to St. Louis and initially play at Busch Memorial Stadium. The game in St. Louis was their last game at Busch Memorial Stadium before opening and moving to Trans World Dome (now known as The Dome at America's Center). 1996 49ers 2–0 49ers 34–0 49ers 28–11 Rams 48–45–2 1997 49ers 2–0 49ers 30–10 49ers 15–12 Rams 48–47–2 Last season Rams held the overall series record. 1998 49ers 2–0 49ers 38–19 49ers 28–10 49ers 49–48–2 The 49ers won 17 straight meetings (1990–1998) and 12 straight road meetings (1987–1998). 49ers take the lead in the overall series record. 1999 Rams 2–0 Rams 23–7 Rams 42–20 Rams 50–49–2 The Rams' first season series sweep against the 49ers since the 1980 season, but the first in St. Louis. Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV.
2000s (Tied, 10–10) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams Overall series Notes 2000 Rams 2–0 Rams 34–24 Rams 41–24 Rams 52–49–2 2001 Rams 2–0 Rams 30–26 Rams 27–14 Rams 54–49–2 Rams lose Super Bowl XXXVI. 2002 Tie 1–1 49ers 37–13 Rams 31–20 Rams 55–50–2 Both teams split the season series for the first time since the 1990 season. 2003 Tie 1–1 49ers 30–10 Rams 27–24(OT) Rams 56–51–2 2004 Rams 2–0 Rams 24–14 Rams 16–6 Rams 58–51–2 2005 49ers 2–0 49ers 28–25 49ers 24–20 Rams 58–53–2 2006 Tie 1–1 49ers 20–13 Rams 20–17 Rams 59–54–2 2007 Tie 1–1 Rams 13–9 49ers 17–16 Rams 60–55–2 2008 49ers 2–0 49ers 35–16 49ers 17–16 Rams 60–57–2 2009 49ers 2–0 49ers 35–0 49ers 28–6 Rams 60–59–2
2010s (49ers, 12–7–1) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 2010 Tie 1–1 49ers 23–20(OT) Rams 25–17 Rams 61–60–2 2011 49ers 2–0 49ers 26–0 49ers 34–27 49ers 62–61–2 2012 Rams 1–0–1 Tie 24–24(OT) Rams 16–13(OT) Tie 62–62–3 In San Francisco, the Rams had what would have been a game-winning field goal taken away because of a penalty, leading to the first tie result between the two teams since the 1968 season. In St. Louis, the Rams kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired in overtime. 49ers lose Super Bowl XLVII. 2013 49ers 2–0 49ers 23–13 49ers 35–11 49ers 64–62–3 2014 Tie 1–1 Rams 13–10 49ers 31–17 49ers 65–63–3 49ers open Levi's Stadium. 2015 Tie 1–1 49ers 19–16(OT) Rams 27–6 49ers 66–64–3 The game in San Francisco was the Rams' last game played as a St. Louis-based team. 2016 49ers 2–0 49ers 28–0 49ers 22–21 49ers 68–64–3 The Rams relocate back to Los Angeles and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 49ers' wins against the Rams would be their only wins in their 2016 season. 2017 Tie 1–1 Rams 41–39 49ers 34–13 49ers 69–65–3 Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are hired as head coach for the 49ers and Rams respectively. 2018 Rams 2–0 Rams 39–10 Rams 48–32 49ers 69–67–3 In Los Angeles, the Rams clinched a first-round bye and achieved their first season series sweep against the 49ers since the 2004 season and their first since 1980 with their win. Rams lose Super Bowl LIII. 2019 49ers 2–0 49ers 34–31 49ers 20–7 49ers 71–67–3 In San Francisco, the 49ers eliminate the Rams from playoff contention with their win. 49ers lose Super Bowl LIV.
2020s (49ers, 7–4) Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams Overall series Notes 2020 49ers 2–0 49ers 24–16 49ers 23–20 49ers 73–67–3 Rams open SoFi Stadium. 2021 49ers 2–0 49ers 31–10 49ers 27–24(OT) 49ers 75–67–3 Rams trade Jared Goff for Lions' QB Matthew Stafford. In Los Angeles, the 49ers overcame a 17–0 deficit, snapping Rams' HC Sean McVay streak of 45 consecutive wins when leading at halftime, and clinched a playoff berth with their win. 2021 Playoffs Rams 1–0 Template:N/A Rams 20–17 49ers 75–68–3 NFC Championship Game. Rams overcame a 17–7 deficit in the fourth quarter. Rams go on to win Super Bowl LVI. 2022 49ers 2–0 49ers 24–9 49ers 31–14 49ers 77–68–3 2023 Tie 1–1 Rams 21–20 49ers 30–23 49ers 78–69–3 The 49ers win nine straight regular-season meetings. 49ers lose Super Bowl LVIII. 2024 Rams 2–0 Rams 12–6 Rams 27–24 49ers 78–71–3
Summary of Results Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams Notes Regular season 49ers 77–70–3 49ers 37–36–2 49ers 40–34–1 Postseason Tie 1–1 49ers 1–0 Rams 1–0 NFC Championship: 1989, 2021 Regular and postseason 49ers 78–71–3 49ers 38–36–2 49ers 40–35–1 49ers have an 11–10 record in St. Louis and currently have a 29–24–1 record in Los Angeles.

References

General

• 49ers vs Rams Results

 Roger Craig's Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline,Craig, Roger (2004). Roger Craig's Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline. Sports Publishing LLC.  ISBN 1-58261-307-9.

 The Rams: Five Decades of Football,Hession, Joseph (1986). . Foghorn Press.  ISBN 0-935701-40-0.

 How 'Bout Them Rams; A Guide to Rams Football History,Hunstein, Jim (2000). . Palmerston & Reed.  ISBN 0-911921-62-1.

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