Jones leads 49ers past Rams in OT, atop NFC West

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Mac Jones guided the San Francisco 49ers to a 26-23 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns while playing through a left-knee issue that briefly forced him from the field. Eddy Piñeiro’s 41-yard field goal in overtime and a game-saving fourth-and-one stop by the 49ers defense preserved the win and moved San Francisco into first place in the NFC West.

Jones, making his third start of the season in place of the injured Brock Purdy, completed 33 of 49 passes and did not turn the ball over. He left the turf in the third quarter favoring a knee he has been managing since training camp and was attended to by trainers on the sideline. Jones returned after testing his mobility and led a late fourth-quarter drive that set up Piñeiro’s 59-yard field goal with 2:52 remaining in regulation, before the Rams tied the game on a 48-yard Joshua Karty field goal as time expired.

The finish in overtime came after the Rams drove to San Francisco’s 11-yard line and opted to go for it on fourth-and-one rather than attempt a tying field goal. Coach Sean McVay later said the call was his and called it a...