NFL
By: George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams return from their bye and take on their NFC West division rival San Francisco 49ers. This is the 2nd matchup of the season between the 2 rivals as the 49ers came away with a convincing 24-9 victory in week 3, their 7th straight regular-season win against the Rams. The 49ers are looking to bounce back after their 44-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in week 7. The Rams will need to make major adjustments to change the outcome of this contest.
Rams Offense vs 49ers Defense
In their earlier matchup, the Rams were held without a touchdown. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 32-48 passes for 254 yards and 1 interception. Stafford was sacked 7 times as the 49ers pass rush seemed to have a clear path to Stafford all game. Rams All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp led the Rams with 14 receptions for 122 yards. Tyler Higbee caught 10 passes for 73 yards. The offensive attack for the Rams was unbalanced as they attempted 48 passes and had 18 run attempts. Darrell Henderson led the Rams with 27 yards on 7 carries. With running back Cam Akers days with the Rams appearing to be close to ending, look for Darrell Henderson to get a bulk of the carries in the Rams rushing attack, with Malcolm Brown spelling him. The Rams offense is in better sync when they stay committed to their running game. Look for Coach Sean McVay to stay committed to the running to keep the 49ers defense honest.
The Rams offensive line took a hit in the game against the Carolina Panthers when starting left tackle Joseph Noteboom was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. To help with the loss of Noteboom, the Rams signed OT Ty Nsekhe from the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. The Rams did receive good news this week as they announced that starting center Brian Allen, who has been out since week 1, will return and start this week against the 49ers. The Rams will look to Allen to provide stability to both their running attack and pass protection.
Rams Defense vs 49ers Offense
In the first matchup, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 16-27 passes for 239 yards and 1 touchdown. More important to the 49ers, Garoppolo did not throw an interception or was he sacked. The Rams were able to generate some pressure, but Garoppolo got the pass off before taking a sack. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel led the 49ers with 6 receptions for 115 yards and 1 touchdown. Throughout most of the game, Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris played the Rams pass coverage off the ball, allowing Garoppolo to throw short to medium route passes. The Rams expect to get back starting defensive back Troy Hill this week, which will allow Coach Morris to change his coverage schemes against the 49ers passing attack.
In that 1st matchup, the 49ers attempted 22 rushes for 88 yards and 1 touchdown with a long run of 32 yards. Outside of that long run, the Rams held the 49ers to 56 yards on 21 carries. Defensively, the Rams took bad pursuit angles and used poor tackling techniques in key situations. Look for Coach Morris to change up his defensive attack, utilizing blitz packages more to put pressure on Garoppolo. In last year’s NFC Championship game, Coach Morris was more aggressive in attacking the 49ers rushing attack. Look for the Rams to use similar schemes to contain the 49ers running backs.
Prediction
The 49ers have won 7 straight regular-season games against the Rams. Look for the 49ers to make it 8 in a row. Coach Shanahan seems to have McVay’s number in head-to-head matchups, and that trend will continue.
49ers 21
Rams 17
