San Francisco 49ers Kicker Eddy Pineiro Saves the Day Against the Los Angeles Rams

The game was a back-and-forth street fight. Mac Jones, filling in for Purdy, was slinging it for 342 yards, but the Rams, led by Matthew Stafford’s 389-yard effort, just wouldn’t quit. As the clock wound down in the fourth quarter, it was time for Pineiro to step into the spotlight.

With 2:52 left, 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan decided to roll the dice from downtown. A 59-yard field goal attempt. Shanahan himself admitted he was debating it, but Pineiro trotted out there like he was just lining up a chip shot. The kick sailed through the uprights, a career-long for Pineiro, and you could see Shanahan on the sideline screaming, “Hell yeah, Eddy!” We all were, Kyle. We all were.

But the real drama came in overtime. After the Niners’ rookie-led defense came up with a massive fourth-down stop on Kyren Williams at the 11-yard line (a play Williams himself took the blame for after the game), it was Pineiro’s time to shine again.

The stage was set for a 41-yard game-winner. The snap was good, the hold was perfect, and the kick was… dramatic. The ball took a little detour, kissing the left upright before deciding to tumble through for the win. A “doink” for the ages. The 49ers poured onto the field, celebrating a 26-23 victory that felt like it was stolen right out of the Rams’ hands. Pineiro went 4-for-4, a perfect night when his team desperately needed it.

So yeah, Pineiro might have been late to the postgame celebration, earning a lighthearted jab from his coach. But as Shanahan said, when you’re perfect, “it’s all good.” For one day, at least, the quiet kid in the back of the class was the coolest guy in school.