The Mac Jones to George Kittle connection was perfect against the Rams

The San Francisco 49ers put their undefeated NFC West record on the line against a surging Los Angeles Rams team in hopes of a repeat of the Week 5 result.

But after allowing a Rams touchdown on each of the first three drives, San Francisco found themselves in a 21-0 hole that proved to be too deep to dig out of. Despite working their way back into the game, getting the score to a one-possession game twice, the Rams powered through the 49ers’ comeback attempts en route to a 42-26 victory.

There wasn’t much positive from the defense, so like last week, all three stars come from the 49ers offense:

Third star: PR Skyy Moore

It was a sluggish start for the 49ers for the first 23 or so minutes on Sunday, falling quickly behind the Rams by three scores. Even after a couple of promising offensive drives, a Jauan Jennings fumble and a turnover on downs killed any momentum the offense had.

Desperate for any big play to boost the offense, Skyy Moore was the unlikely player who helped get the 49ers’ offense going.

After allowing the Rams to score on their first three drives on Sunday, the San Francisco defense finally forced Rams punter Ethan Evans to take the field for his first of only two punts on the day. With his fair share of struggles in the punt return game (mostly bad decisions on when to return the ball versus when to let it bounce into the end zone), Moore finally had his first impact return this season.

Moore handled Evans’ 48-yard punt at the San Francisco 37-yard line. He was able to make the first rush of Rams defenders miss, earning some open space. Moore then made a nice cut to avoid a few more would-be Rams tacklers before finally getting caught from behind by Shaun Dolac.

When it was said and done, Moore’s return went for 27 yards, his longest punt return of the season. It was just what the 49ers offense needed, as seven plays later, they took advantage of the field position for their first touchdown of the game.

Second star: TE George Kittle

After three relatively quiet games from the 49ers’ tight end after returning from injury, Kittle finally had the game people have been waiting for. Unfortunately, it was used in a losing effort.

In the three games since missing five with a hamstring injury, Kittle combined for eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday, Kittle finished with nine receptions on nine targets for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Kittle made the first impact play of the game for the offense following an opening drive three-and-out. After a false start pushed the 49ers’ offense back five yards, San Francisco faced a second-and-12. Mac Jones targeted Kittle for the first time, and Kittle responded with a nice diving catch to move the chains for the 49ers’ first first down of the game.

While his first catch was impressive, the play of Kittle’s game came on his ninth and final catch. With the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter, San Francisco was looking for any type of positive they could find before the game ended. Jones found Kittle open along the sideline, but there was still work to be done. Kittle was able to tight-rope and navigate the sideline about as best as he could, staying in bounds while turning his body to dive for the pylon. By the slimmest of margins, Kittle found his way into the endzone to get the 49ers on the board one final time.

There wasn’t too much positive for the 49ers on Sunday, but Kittle’s return to form was one of the lone bright spots in the loss.

First star: QB Mac Jones

In what might have been his final game as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Jones put together what might have been his best performance of 2025.

Jones did his best to keep the 49ers in the game, completing 33-of-39 passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Unfortunately for Jones, the offense around him didn’t help much until the Rams already had a 21-point lead.

The offense started with a three-and-out, followed by a promising drive that ended with the Jennings fumble. San Francisco finally got to the red zone on their third drive, but that drive ended with Christian McCaffrey getting stuffed on a fourth-and-1.

It took the 49ers’ fourth drive to get on the board finally. Jones would complete all five of his passes on that drive, finishing up by finding Jennings in the end zone to cut the Rams’ lead to 14 points.

San Francisco would be held scoreless on its next drive, but came out of the half looking to cut the Rams’ lead to seven, and Jones came through. Again, Jones would not throw an incomplete pass en route to a touchdown-scoring drive, going five-for-five with completions of 19, 13, and 13 yards, with Brian Robinson closing the drive with a one-yard score.

Jones’ best play of the game came on his second touchdown pass of the game. With the 49ers again looking to cut the Rams’ lead to one score, the offense found itself in the red zone once again. On a first-and-goal, Jones snapped the ball and looked to his right, but the pocket collapsed on that side, forcing Jones to move around in the pocket. He was able to get his eyes to the left side of the field, avoiding the traffic in the pocket to find a wide-open Luke Farrell for a nine-yard touchdown.

Jones would finish his day with his lone interception on an attempt to McCaffrey, before finding Kittle for his third touchdown pass of the game. The interception was the only blemish on an otherwise impressive day from Sunday’s first star.

Throughout the season, I will track the three stars of the season, tallying up points for each star award using a complex scoring system: three points for being the first star, two for the second, and one for the third. Through Week 10, the standings are:

Yankees’ New Rumor Links Team to Rival Slugger

Will the Yankees scoop up a slugger from the Toronto Blue Jays?

The New York Yankees are looking to improve their team this offseason. After failing to make it past the Toronto Blue Jays, the eventual World Series runner-up, they are more than motivated to improve their team where it counts. While they are the favorites to land a star starting pitcher (or two), a new rumor has them linked to an infield slugger who could help them on the other side of the ball.

This new rumor has one journalist suggesting that Bo Bichette is open to playing baseball somewhere other than Toronto in 2026.

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Bo Bichette Open To Playing in New York

Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun has published a recent piece on Bichette and the Blue Jays. He acknowledges that Bichette has been vocal about remaining in Toronto. He also suggests that he has said some other things “quietly.”

“Bichette told everyone who would listen that he wants to stay a Blue Jay as free agency approaches,” Simmons wrote on November 9, 2025. “He wants to continue his World Series quest with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He said that publicly while quietly telling some people he wouldn’t mind playing in New York in the future. The immediate future.”

“So, maybe he stays. Or, maybe he doesn’t. Or, maybe he already knows where he wants to be.”

One Last Embrace?

Simmons also revealed a theory about Bichette. One that involves the infielder knowing he wasn’t coming back to Toronto.

“But I couldn’t help but wonder, watching Bichette and Mattingly, the last two standing in the dugout on the last night of this spectacular season, if this was it for both of them,” Simmons wrote. “After Will Smith’s home run and the World Series-clinching double play silenced all of Canada, Bo Bichette walked behind Don Mattingly, Donnie Baseball, in the Blue Jays dugout and held on to the long-time major-leaguer.”

“Probably knowing that this was Mattingly’s last day as a Blue Jay. Maybe knowing, in his own mind, that this was his last day, as well.”

Bichette enjoyed a great season with the Blue Jays. In addition to making it all the way to the World Series in the postseason, he had an impressive regular season. He smacked 18 home runs out of the park, while driving in 94 RBIs, combined with a .311 batting average.

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New York Yankees Expected to be Aggressive This Winter

Elsewhere, Bob Nightengale of USA Today attempted to answer some offseason questions in a recent article. He listed the Yankees as a team that looks to be aggressive this winter.

“They must spend just to keep up with the rest of the powerful AL East,” Nightengale wrote on November 10, 2025. “And will either bring back Cody Bellinger or sign Kyle Tucker.”

Nightengale also lists the Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays as two AL East teams that will be very active before Spring Training.

“(Orioles) can’t afford to miss the postseason again, or GM Mike Elias’ job is on the line. They have to bring in a front-line starter,” Nightengale wrote about the Orioles before discussing Toronto. “They just earned an extra $50 million or so in revenue from their World Series run. They’ll put it right back into the team and could be the favorite for Kyle Tucker.”

No matter what the Yankees decide to do this offseason, they have to do something. With their rivals looking to load up, they must do the same to stay in the mix for the 2026 season.

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