In a thrilling matchup on December 19, 2025, the Los Angeles Rams fell to the San Francisco 49ers, a game marked by a controversial overturned call on a critical 2-point conversion attempt. Quarterback Matthew Stafford put forth an impressive performance, throwing for 457 yards and three touchdowns, but the outcome left both players and coaches questioning officiating decisions.
Stafford’s post-game concerns quickly turned to the absurdity of one particular rule related to fumbling. He expressed his desire to gain clarity on the rule, stating, “I didn’t think you were allowed to advance a fumble,” following a pivotal moment in the game. Chaos ensued when Sam Darnold tried a two-point conversion. Edward Breakdown Jared Verse did the honors, tipping that pass and watching it hit the turf.
Puka Nacua continued his impressive debut season as the Rams’ special weapon. He ended the game with an incredible 12 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He lamented that the 2-point attempt seemed like it was decided to be put on the shoulders of the referees. After the game, he went to Twitter to thank them, tweeting, “Appreciate you stripes for your donation. Lol.”
Rams’ defensive captain Kobie Turner was as shocked as anyone about the call going back against Rams. More surprising, he said, was the timing. His comment was that matches were left on the table and that some of those minutes should not have been totally in the hands of the officials. In times of economic distress, it’s just the opportunities that we missed. Some of the moments that we put in the officials’ hands just felt like we could have executed to not put ourselves in those situations,” Nacua stated, echoing Turner’s sentiments.
Sean McVay, head coach of the Rams, along with his players, expressed their concerns over the officiating throughout the game. That contentious call killed the home team’s early momentum and would end up contributing to their razor-thin loss.
Officiating in high-stakes late season, NFL games inherently brings with it a considerable amount of pressure. This encounter showed once again how important good communication among players and, even more importantly, referee comprehension of rules is at the very least.
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