NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams look to ride the momentum of their impressive week one victory against the Seattle Seahawks as they play host to their long-time division rival San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are coming off a very impressive dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers in week one winning 30-7. With Kyle Shanahan as head coach of the 49ers, the Rams are 4-9 under Coach Sean McVay, including 8 consecutive losses in the regular season. The Rams will have their work cut out for them this week against a vaunted 49ers team. This game will mark the first time a quarterback taken #1 overall will face a quarterback who the the last player selected in his draft class.
Rams Offense vs. 49ers Defense
In their week one matchup vs. Seattle, the Rams offensive line did a tremendous job in pass protection. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was not sacked in the game. Given time to pass, Stafford was able to throw for 334. Though Stafford did not throw a touchdown pass, he took care of the football not throwing an interception. The offensive line will need a similar performance in pass protection this week. The Rams coaching staff will need to come up with a scheme to account for 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa. In their matchups, Bosa has given the Rams offensive line headaches, using his speed agility, and brute strength to get past the Rams offensive line to apply pressure to their quarterback. Joseph Noteboom will be tasked with keeping Bosa away from Stafford. Look for the Rams to use a running back to chip Bosa as well as use a tight end to help double-team Bosa.
Last season, the Rams struggled to find a consistent running game. In their week one matchup, the Rams rushed for 92 yards on 40 attempts, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. Leading the way for the Rams running attack was Kyren Williams, who accounted for 52 yards on 15 carries and 2 touchdowns. Cam Akers received a bulk of the carries but was largely ineffective, rushing for 29 yards on 22 carries with 1 touchdown. The offensive line will need to do a better job at consistently opening running lanes. If the Rams are not able to find a consistent running game, the 49ers will pin their ears back and bring as much pressure as possible to Stafford. If Akers struggles early in the game, look for Coach McVay to go to Williams early and often.
With Cooper Kupp out a minimum of 4 games due to a hamstring injury, the rest of the receive corp was looked upon to step up. Van Jefferson was expected to be Stafford’s go-to receiver with Kupp out. Jefferson had 4 receptions for 24 yards on 5 targets in the week one matchup against Seattle. The surprise to most Rams fans was the connection between Stafford and rookie Puka Nacua. In the game against Seattle, Nacua had 10 receptions for 119 yards on 15 targets. Tutu Atwell had a good game for the Rams on the outside, accounting for 119 yards on 6 receptions. Atwell was expected to have a bigger role in Rams passing game this year. Look for Stafford to go to Atwell and Nacua early in the game to test the 49ers pass coverage. TE Tyler Higbee figures to be a key component this week against the 49ers defense.
Rams Defense vs 49ers Offense
Last season, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy came out of nowhere and did a good job replacing the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. In 9 games last season, Purdy passed for 1374 yards with 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, leading the 49ers to a playoff berth. In his week one matchup against the Steelers, Purdy went 19-29 for 220 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Purdy accounted for 20 rushing yards on 3 carries. The Steelers were able to put pressure on Purdy, sacking him 3 times in the game. Purdy will not try to force things, he lets the game come to him. The Rams defensive line, led by Aaron Donald will look to put pressure on Purdy up the middle and keep outside containment to keep him in the pocket. Edge rusher Byron Young and outside linebacker Michael Hoecht will be tasked with maintaining outside containment.
The Rams pass coverage was able to keep Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in check, limiting him to 112 passing yards. The Seahawks big 2 receivers, DJ Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were held to a combined 5 receptions for 57 yards. 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel has given the Rams defense fits both as a receiver and coming out of the backfield. Complimenting Samuel at receive is Brandon Aiyuk. If the Rams pass rush is not able to put pressure on Purdy, the Rams secondary could be in for a long day as both Samuel and Aiyuk have been matchup problems for the Rams in the past. Look for defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to give CB’s Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant over-the-top safety coverage to blanket Samuel and Aiyuk.
A big part of the 49ers offense Coach Morris must plan for is 49ers all-purpose back Christian McCaffrey. In the 49ers offense, McCaffrey is a threat both running the ball as well as in the passing game. McCaffrey has the speed to separate from linebackers as a receiver and the elusiveness to avoid defensive back in the open field. Against the 49ers running attack, the Rams defense will need to get off their blocks quickly to close up inside running lanes and maintain proper pursuit angles to prevent McCaffrey and the other 49ers running back from getting outside. Look for the Rams defense to scheme to keep the 49ers running game from getting outside the tackles and funnel everything into Aaron Donald, Ernest Jones, and the Rams interior defense.
Prediction
The Rams surprised most in the NFL with their performance on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. There is renewed optimism among Ram fans. This week, the Rams run into a formidable foe in the 49ers, who many pick to contend with the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC championship. The Rams will be extremely competitive in this game, but in the end, look for the 49ers to prevail and improve to 2-0
49ers 27
Rams 17
