FOOTBALL

Both Monday games are on after no new positives

Both Monday night games were cleared for kickoff following the latest round of negative COVID-19 tests, multiple outlets reported.

The Buffalo Bills (4-1) host the Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) at 5 p.m. ET on FOX and the NFL Network.

The Dallas Cowboys (2-3) host the Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Chiefs-Bills game was originally scheduled for last Thursday but was moved during a coronavirus-related NFL scheduling change.

Niners await evaluation on RB Mostert’s injury

An update on the injury to San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert isn’t expected until Monday at the earliest, coach Kyle Shanahan said after the 49ers defeated the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif.

Mostert sustained a sprained left ankle late in the second quarter on Sunday, and finished the half with 64 yards on 16 carries. After having the ankle retaped at intermission, he returned for the third quarter, only to leave after one carry for one yard.

He also made two catches for 11 yards in the first half.

Mostert, who began the night with a team-leading 238 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries, was limping on the sidelines after exiting the game.

“We don’t know yet on Raheem,” Shanahan said. “I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow.”

“I think Raheem has shown this league, starting last year, how special of a back he is,” Shanahan said. “Any time you lose a special guy like that, there definitely is a change. But I’ve also got a lot of confidence in our other guys too.”

Mostert missed two games earlier this season due to an ankle sprain.

Mostert rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns on 137 carries in 2019, and added 180 yards and two more scores on 14 catches.

JaMycal Hasty rushed for 37 yards on nine carries, including some runs as the Niners were chewing up the clock in the second half.

“I thought he did a real good job when he came in,” Shanahan said. “Hasty was up for the challenge, got some fresh legs in there, and I thought he gave us some juice a little bit. … Hasty got his opportunity and from what I saw, I thought he really helped us.”

Garoppolo tosses 3 TDs as 49ers dump Rams to end skid

Jimmy Garoppolo threw three first-half touchdown passes and Jason Verrett stalled a Los Angeles Rams rally with an end-zone interception Sunday night as the San Francisco 49ers ended a two-game losing streak with a 24-16 victory in a matchup of the last two NFC champions.

George Kittle caught seven passes for 109 yards and one touchdown to spark a 49ers offense that did most of its damage in the first half en route to a 21-6 lead.

The San Francisco defense, which was last seen serving up 436 yards and 43 points in a blowout home loss to the Miami Dolphins last week, kept the Rams out of the end zone for the first 56 minutes in large part by limiting Jared Goff to 198 passing yards on 19 of 38 completions.

Garoppolo’s big first half featured TD throws to Deebo Samuel for six yards, Kittle for 44 and Brandon Aiyuk for two. He went 17-for-21 for 215 yards in the half without an interception.

Garoppolo, who was pulled at halftime of last week’s loss to Miami, finished the game 23-for-33 for 268 yards and the three scores. He was not intercepted.

San Francisco running back Raheem Mostert ran 17 times for 65 yards before suffering an ankle injury and leaving the game early in the third quarter.

In an attempt to win at home for the first time in four outings this season, the connections with Samuel and Kittle gave the 49ers (3-3) a 14-0 lead in the first minute of the second quarter before the Rams countered with their only score of the half on a 10-yard pass from Goff to Robert Woods.

Samuel Sloman’s PAT was blocked, allowing the 49ers to go 15 points up when Aiyuk corralled his short TD catch with 1:47 left in the half.

Goff was just 5-for-12 in the half for 42 yards. The Rams were outgained 291-102 in the turnover-free first 30 minutes.

The teams could only trade field goals — a 42-yarder by Sloman and a 49-yarder by the 49ers’ Robbie Gould — until the Rams (4-2), seeking a third straight win, made it a one-score margin on a 40-yard pass from Goff to Josh Reynolds with still 3:24 to play.

However, the Rams never got the ball back.

LA’s other threat in the second half came at the end of a nine-play, 60-yard drive in the third period. But on a fourth-and-goal at the 2, Verrett picked off a pass intended for Reynolds, allowing San Francisco to retain a 21-9 lead.

Goff finished with two TD passes and one interception. LA’s Darrell Henderson Jr. was the game’s leading rusher with 88 yards on 14 carries.

Report: Titans fear torn ACL for LT Lewan

The Tennessee Titans are 5-0 but might have to move on without starting left tackle Taylor Lewan.

Lewan left Sunday’s 42-36 overtime victory against the Houston Texans in the third quarter, and the Titans fear he may have suffered a torn ACL, according to FOX Sports.

The 29-year-old is scheduled for an MRI exam on Monday.

Ty Sambrailo, who replaced Lewan, gave up a sack to J.J. Watt on his second snap as Ryan Tannehill lost a fumble that led to a Houston touchdown. Sambrailo, 28, signed a one-year deal with Tennessee in the offseason. He has 13 starts in a six-year NFL career, with experience at both tackle spots and left guard.

“We’re sure lucky to have him,” head coach Mike Vrabel said after Sunday’s game. “He’s one of those guys that takes advantage of the situation. We’ll continue to work and make sure that we’re trying to find ways to help people where they need help.”

Another potential option is moving right tackle Dennis Kelly to the left side or to put rookie first-rounder Isaiah Wilson in the mix. He has not played this season but recently returned to practice after originally being placed on the NFL reserve/COVID-19 list in July.

Lewan, a first-round pick of the Titans (No. 11 overall) in 2014, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He has started 85 of his 90 games with Tennessee.