Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Watch: Rams pull off a tricky fake punt vs. 49ers

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 22, 2024 5:35 PM ET

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is digging into his bag of tricks against the San Francisco 49ers.

On a fourth-and-6 at L.A.'s 43-yard line with 6:22 left in the second quarter, the Rams lined up in a punt formation. Instead of punting, they snapped the ball to running back Ronnie Rivers, who picked up the first down.

Rams dial the fake punt!

: #SFvsLAR on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/Fxpkv12aaD
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

KYREN WILLIAMS FRONT FLIPS FOR THE TD

: #SFvsLAR on FOX
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/B3woypwrfY
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

After the fake punt, the Rams marched into the red zone, where quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams, cutting the 49ers' lead to 14-7 with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter.

The Rams are dealing with injuries to multiple offensive stars, including WRs Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle).

Nacua — who led the team in receiving yards (1,486 yards in 17 games) last season — was recently placed on injured reserve and could miss five to seven weeks (h/t: ESPN's Adam Schefter).

The injuries will probably test the Rams' depth. Thus, they need more creative play calling from McVay to overcome the problems and avoid an early-season tailspin.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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