The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have had a rivalry going for many years now with their games always being extremely heated. That was the case again on Thursday night as the Rams got a hard fought 12-6 win over their division rivals. Offense was hard to come by, but running back Kyren Williams was still able to reach the 100-yard mark on the ground.
This also marked the Rams’ first regular season sweep of the 49ers since 2018, something that was not lost on the Rams themselves as they undoubtedly took great pride in beating the 49ers twice this season. And Williams even took it a step further.
“It means everything, honestly,” Williams said about sweeping the 49ers this season. “On the way here, our pilot said ‘Go sweep the Niners.’ And when he said that I was like dang, we really could sweep the Niners. I don’t think I’ve done that since I’ve been here. So being able to do that knowing how good of a team they are and knowing the history with the two organizations, that makes it huge and it shows that we’re the big brothers now.”
It makes sense why the Rams would feel this way as the 49ers had dominated the meetings between these two teams over the past few seasons. In fact, since that season sweep in 2018, the Rams didn’t won a regular season game against the 49ers until the season finale last year. Though it should be remembered that they did take down their rivals in the NFC Championship Game in 2022 on their way to the Super Bowl.
Many players on this team just haven’t seen much on-field success against the 49ers so for the Rams to pull off this sweep while putting themselves in excellent position in the NFC West, and severely harming the playoff hopes of their rivals as well, it has to be a great feeling. And perhaps Williams is right in that a new page has been turned within this rivalry and it is the Rams being the dominant side right now.
Kyren Williams Named Rams’ nominee for 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award
In addition to another excellent season on the field, Kyren Williams also does a lot of great work off it as well which is why he was named the Rams’ nominee for the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
“It’s an honor to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award alongside the many players around the league who are doing meaningful work in their communities,” Williams said.
“My community work is never about receiving recognition but about paying forward the support and inspiration that others have given me throughout my life. I cherish the opportunities to put a smile on people’s faces and help families in need. The game of football has provided me with a platform to give back and I believe it’s important to leverage it in ways that serve others.”
