The Rams rally from a double-digit deficit to stun the 49ers 27-24 on a late field goal

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The winless Los Angeles Rams were fresh off a 31-point loss and missing their top two receivers when they took the field Sunday against a rival that has dominated them for a half-decade.

The Rams then fell behind San Francisco by 14 points in the second half, and they still trailed by double digits midway through the fourth quarter.

Although Matthew Stafford has seen plenty of crazy stuff in his 16 years in pro football, the Rams' thrilling 27-24 comeback victory ranks way up there — both for the way it happened, and for the heart his team showed in grim circumstances.

“I’m not into improbable, probable,” Stafford said. “NFL is an improbable business, I’ll tell you that much. You never know what’s gonna happen week in and week out. You've got to go out there and earn it and prove it, and we did that.”

Kyren Williams rushed 4 yards to score his third touchdown of the day with 1:51 remaining, and Joshua Karty hit a 37-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to complete the dramatic rally by Los Angeles, which outscored San Francisco 20-3 in the final 19 minutes.

The Rams (1-2) matched their franchise's biggest second-half comeback victory since 2006 while earning their second straight win over the 49ers (1-2) after losing nine of the NFC West archrivals' previous 10 meetings.

Williams caught a TD pass and rushed for two scores for the Rams, who avoided their first 0-3 start under Sean McVay in remarkable fashion. Stafford passed for 221 yards, and Tutu Atwell had four catches for 93 yards.

“I think there are the games where you bring just a little bit more juice,” Williams said. “Just the games where you can’t wait to play, when everybody’s doubting you and everybody’s (saying), ‘There’s no way the Rams are gonna win. The Rams are gonna start 0-3.’ We feel it for sure, but it’s something that fuels us.”

Jauan Jennings set career highs with 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers, who blew a lead of at least 14 points for the first time since 2018. While the Rams have salvaged hope for their season, the defending NFC champions were left flustered, frustrated — and under .500 for the first time since Brock Purdy became their starting quarterback in 2022.

The Niners led 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, but Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt for San Francisco with 2:43 to play. Stafford hit Atwell for a 50-yard completion to the San Francisco 5, and Williams took it in two plays later.

Ronnie Bell then dropped a long pass with 1:02 left that would have put San Francisco in field goal range, and Xavier Smith — elevated from the Rams’ practice squad for this game — took his first career punt return 38 yards to midfield.

A 25-yard pass interference penalty against linebacker De’Vondre Campbell put the Rams in range, and their rookie kicker buried the kick.

San Francisco threw several laterals after time expired, but the final play died on the Rams' sideline.

Purdy passed for 292 yards in the Super Bowl favorites' second straight road loss after falling at Minnesota last week.

“Plenty of opportunities,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “I can only speak for myself, and it wasn’t good enough. We’ve got to close them out when we have a chance. … It’s definitely a rough start, but we’ve been through some tough stretches before, but we just have to stay together.”

Both teams were missing most of their top offensive playmakers due to injury. The 49ers played without Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, while the Rams were without Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee.

Purdy focused on Jennings, who caught two scoring passes in the first quarter and another in the third to become the first 49ers wide receiver with three TD catches in a game since Terrell Owens in 2001.

The former seventh-round pick had more TD catches Sunday than he managed in the previous two seasons combined, and his total catches and yards were more than both of his two previous best games combined.

“Jauan was unbelievable,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “The numbers show it, but more than the numbers, he was a warrior the whole game. He’s always like that. Got a lot more opportunities today, and he was automatic on every single one.”

Jennings' most impressive grab was a leaping 32-yard catch over Quentin Lake to set up a field goal that put the Niners ahead 24-14.

Stafford didn't complete a pass until Atwell made a running grab with about eight minutes left in the first half. Williams then made a short catch and did a full front-flip somersault into the end zone.

Jennings caught a 31-yard TD pass midway through the third quarter. Williams responded by scoring a rushing TD in his sixth straight game, matching the franchise-record streak set by Marshall Faulk in 2001.

49ers: LB Dee Winters injured his ankle in the first half of his season debut, but he returned. ... DT Javon Hargrave injured his triceps. Shanahan hopes it's a bruise.

Rams: Los Angeles didn't report an injury after losing multiple players to significant injuries in each of its first two games.

49ers: Host New England on Sept. 29.

Rams: At Chicago on Sept. 29.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, top middle, is congratulated by wide receiver Ronnie Bell after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, middle, celebrates after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) is tackled by Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Braden Fiske, bottom middle, and defensive tackle Kobie Turner, bottom right, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, left, greets San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan after an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) celebrates after the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, bottom, cannot catch a pass while defended by Los Angeles Rams cornerback Tre'Davious White during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, top, flips into the end zone to score against San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, bottom, and linebacker De'Vondre Campbell during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes between San Francisco 49ers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (94) and defensive end Nick Bosa during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) runs against Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner, left, and defensive tackle Braden Fiske (55) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, middle, reacts after catching a touchdown pass in front of Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Curl during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) reacts after scoring against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, right, scores a touchdown past Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens (26) and cornerback Cobie Durant (14) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Rams place kicker Joshua Karty (16) kicks a field goal from the hold of Ethan Evans during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Rams place kicker Joshua Karty (16) celebrates with teammates after kicking a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Several top staffers in North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's campaign for governor have quit their posts, marking more fallout from a CNN report outlining evidence that he made disturbing posts on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago.

The campaign said in a news release Sunday that senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, the campaign's finance director and the deputy campaign manager “have stepped down from their roles with the campaign.” Information on new campaign staffers would be forthcoming soon, the release said.

“I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors," Robinson said in the release.

Pogorzelski, who helped Robinson get elected lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for public office and later became his chief of staff, said separately on Sunday that additional staffers also left the campaign — the deputy finance director, two political directors and the director of operations.

Pogorzelski, in a text, said that he “along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord.”

The CNN report on Thursday unearthed past posts it said Robinson left on a porn site’s message boards in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI;" said he enjoyed transgender pornography; said in 2012 he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama; and slammed the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”

Robinson denied writing the posts and said Thursday that he wouldn’t be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.” He avoided directly discussing the controversy during a gubernatorial campaign event on Saturday evening at a race track in Fayetteville. The event happened after earlier in the day former President Donald Trump didn't mention Robinson at a rally about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away in Wilmington.

Before Saturday, Robinson had been a frequent presence at Trump’s North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican presidential nominee has long praised Robinson — who would be North Carolina's first Black governor if elected — calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids” for his speaking style.

On Sunday, Robinson still expressed optimism that he could win in November over Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the sitting attorney general. Polls have shown Robinson trailing Stein.

But Robinson said polls have “underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles,” and with a large portion of the electorate undecided “I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5.”

Robinson has a long history of making inflammatory comments, including suggesting women who sought abortion “weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down” and comparing abortion to slavery.

Stein said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Robinson is “utterly unqualified, unfit to be the governor of North Carolina, and we’re going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.”

Polls show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a close race in North Carolina and nationally. Democrats have seized on the opportunity to highlight Trump’s ties to Robinson, with billboards showing the two together and a new ad from Harris’ campaign highlighting the Republican candidates’ ties, as well as Robinson’s support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions.

On Sunday, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Robinson deserves a chance to defend himself against the allegations, which Graham described as “unnerving.” He said Robinson is “a political zombie if he does not offer a defense to this that’s credible,” while arguing the issue wouldn’t hurt Trump.

“If they’re true, he’s unfit to serve for office,” Graham said of Robinson and the claims in the CNN report. “If they’re not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.”

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Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts

North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts

FILE - North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)