Rams’ long and winding road led to Super Bowl LVI championship at home

San Francisco fans were plentiful at SoFi Stadium during 49ers’ comeback victory over the Rams in January.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

• at Baltimore: Win 20-19
• San Francisco: Loss 27-24 (OT)

It took a while for Beckham and Miller to hit their stride with the Rams, but both stars helped the Rams start the new year right by making huge plays against the Ravens.

Beckham caught a go-ahead touchdown pass with less than a minute left, and Miller sealed the victory with a sack.

“It feels good to do my job for my boys,” Miller said.

The Rams went into the season finale with a chance to secure the No. 2 seeding for the NFC playoffs. All McVay had to do was outwit 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, his friend, mentor and nemesis, who had led his team to five consecutive victories over the Rams.

In front of a SoFi Stadium crowd full of 49ers fans the Rams took a 17-0 lead, McVay celebrating in the end zone after a Tyler Higbee touchdown catch, but the 49ers rallied to tie the score in the third quarter.

With less than three minutes to play in regulation, Stafford connected with Kupp for a touchdown, but the 49ers rallied to send the game into overtime. The 49ers kicked a field goal, and then intercepted a Stafford pass to clinch the victory.

The Cardinals’ defeat by the Seahawks gave the Rams the division title, but the Rams fell to the No. 4 seed, putting them in an NFC wild-card matchup against the Cardinals at home and a possible divisional-round game at second-seeded Tampa Bay. The 49ers clinched a playoff spot and a wild-card matchup on the road against the Dallas Cowboys — with a possible divisional-round game at top-seeded Green Bay.

If the Rams and 49ers earned their way into the NFC championship game, and they did, they would play again at SoFi Stadium for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

“You gotta finish,” McVay said, adding, “Fortunately, this isn’t the end for us.”

It proved to be only the beginning.